Falling All In You
by Ila9182
Summary: Sharon turned around to find Flynn staring at her, arms crossed over his chest, an arched eyebrow, and a teasing half smile on his lips. She began to wonder if something was off with her face, or if her blouse was revealing too much as she couldn't find a reason for him to study her that way. - First chapter set in The Closer era. An annual look at Sharon and Andy's relationship.
1. 30TH OF JULY 2012

**Here I am again with a new story. I'm slowly trying to get back to my writing after watching season 6 which, needless to say, destroyed me on so many levels. It includes my inspiration. I happened to write this chapter before watching the last season, now I'm back at it, writing the following chapters and it's not easy. I'm struggling a lot but slowly I'm succeeding in writing the chapters as I wanted.**

 **Okay, back at this story, I was inspired to write it after rewatching The Closer " _Last Rites_ " (7x19) and seeing one particular scene: when Sharon comes to talk to Brenda, Andy stares at her and she caught him in the process. Andy's look (and him being incredibly sexy) got my mind running wild and I came up with this chapter. **

**Also, the song " _Fallin All In You_ " by Shawn Mendes loosely inspired this whole piece. I hope you will like it!**

 **Special thanks to my super amazing Beta, eelise187, who proofread my work, supported me and gave me some great ideas to help me fight my writer's block.**

 **Again, I don't own the show or its characters (or freaking season 6 would have never happened).**

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 **FALLING IN ALL IN YOU**

 **CHAPTER ONE: 30TH OF JULY 2012**

Sharon Raydor couldn't quite explain the turn of events that led her to this point. She rolled over in bed and found the other side empty. She sighed, covering her face with both hands and shook her head while she muttered to herself, "Of course, what were you thinking?"

Sharon felt like an idiot for falling so easily into his trap, and she couldn't quite understand how she had let all of this happen. She had just become another of his conquests, his latest one-night stand to be added to an already long list. Feeling suddenly uneasy, Sharon wrapped the bed sheet around her to cover her naked body while she got out of bed, in search of her clothes.

 ***FOUR HOURS BEFORE – MAJOR CRIMES DIVISION***

Sharon's day had gone as usual. She had been around the Major Crimes team during the case concerning the death of a priest. She had helped to maintain good relations with the Catholic Church, as Chief Johnson's difficult behavior had risked the cooperation of the latter. It was nothing other than a busy day at the office, just like every other time she had to babysit Chief Johnson in an attempt to prevent her from making bad decisions. It was nothing other than a busy day at the office, that is until she had caught Lieutenant Andy Flynn checking her out.

Sharon sighed as she sat on one of the stools in the break room, holding her mug near her mouth. She delicately blew on her hot tea to cool it as she recalled what had happened earlier in the Murder Room.

Sharon had just joined Chief Johnson to inform her about the conference with the Church when she had felt burning eyes on her. She had stopped talking for a split second and turned around to find Flynn staring at her, arms crossed over his chest, an arched eyebrow, and a teasing half smile on his lips. She had immediately returned her attention to Chief Johnson, trying to ignore the intense look he was giving her, but she was having a hard time ignoring the weird feelings building inside her. Once she was done explaining the situation to Chief Johnson, she noticed he was still in the same position, watching at her. She began to wonder if something was off with her face, or if her blouse was revealing too much as she couldn't find a reason for him to study her that way. She had held his gaze and after a few seconds, he had turned away, arms still crossed, to call to Commander Taylor, "Commander? His Holiness the Pope requested your presence." Sharon couldn't hold back a smile at Flynn's sarcastic joke, and the fact that she actually didn't roll her eyes at him had her worried. What was going on with her?

 _What was going on with me?_ She questioned for the rest of the day and she kept questioning now as she sipped her tea, sitting on one of the stools in the break room, rolling her eyes at what had occurred. She then put her mug on the counter before sighing and covering her face with both hands. It had been a strenuous day and she was exhausted. She just wanted to go home.

"Long day?" A voice broke the silence, filling the room.

Sharon straightened and ran a hand through her hair before turning around. She had recognized the voice and she wasn't surprised when she saw Andy Flynn standing arms crossed with a grin on his face. She raised an eyebrow at him before replying, "Yes. What about yours, Lieutenant?" she added politely.

"I'm about to head home…" he answered with a huge grin.

Flynn took a few steps forward and Sharon wondered what he was doing in the break room if he had finished working. She focused on her mug and took it again as she could sense his intense stare on her. Sharon started feeling uncomfortable and tried to ignore him while she continued sipping her tea. After a few seconds, her uneasiness quickly turned to annoyance as she asked him with a hint of irritation in her voice, "Is there something wrong, Lieutenant?"

"I don't know, you tell me, Captain." He simply stated with his foolish smile that was starting to get on Sharon's nerves. He then neared her to stand in front of her, resting his hands on the counter next to her. Sharon felt awkward at their sudden proximity, but she tried to hide it as she slowly put down her mug and simply remarked with a calm tone, "Well, you'll go blind if you keep staring at me like that."

"What got you thinking that I was staring at you?" he asked with a grin as he switched positions and moved closer to lean against the counter next to her. He was almost touching her and Sharon was taken aback for a few seconds before she answered, arching an eyebrow and faking annoyance, "I caught you in the process maybe?"

"And how does it feel?" His voice was suddenly husky and it sent shivers down Sharon's spine.

She didn't expect this kind of answer. She dared to look up at him and saw his intense gaze and all she could manage to say keeping her composure was, "Uhm… inappropriate?"

"Are you going to report me for this?" he teased her, looking her in the eyes.

Sharon wondered if he was trying to read her mind, or even to undress her with a look. Flynn was acting cheeky, in a way only he could, and she didn't know how to feel about it. Sharon didn't know if she should be irritated by his stupid lines or flattered by the fact he was actually trying to pick her up. He was clearly teasing her and she decided to play along when she replied, "What do you think?"

They stood in silence for a while, staring at each other, testing the waters. His eyes were burning with a feeling Sharon hadn't seen in someone else's eyes in years, but she recognized it nevertheless. Desire. She wasn't going to let him see the effect he was having on her. She knew it would have boosted his ego even more, so she put on her best poker face, trying to ignore her pounding heart while he continued to look at her seductively. He was playing with her, so she saw no reason why she shouldn't do the same with him.

"Well, Captain, before you do anything, you should hear my arguments first." He finally said, giving her one of his best Andy Flynn smiles.

 _Here again, that smile._ Sharon had never noticed before how intriguing his smile was. She didn't think she had ever seen him smile that way at her. She had seen him angry, she had heard him God knew how many times yell at her, but she couldn't quite remember if he had ever smiled at her. Before tonight. She stood up from her stool to face him and the proximity between them was starting to get dangerous.

"I'm very curious, Lieutenant." She slowly stated, emphasizing every word with a deep voice as she stood expectantly, hands on her hips, "What are your arguments?"

Flynn smiled mischievously and before she realized what was happening, he abruptly leaned in, closing the gap between them. He kissed her hungrily and without thinking any further, Sharon deepened the kiss, running a hand through his silver hair. In the heat of the moment, she slightly lost her balance and was about to collide against the counter when she felt his arm slide around her waist to steady her. They broke off the kiss, their mouths standing inches apart when he whispered with a smirk, clearly out of breath, "I've wanted to do this since the beanbag gun episode." He then paused, considering his next words as he confessed with a huge grin, "You have no idea how much of a turn it was to see you shoot that guy without hesitation." He paused. "A perfect damn shot," concluding with a smirk.

Sharon smiled softly as she suddenly realized this may have been the moment where Flynn's attitude towards her had changed. As if he had understood from that episode that she wasn't just a boring administrative FID officer, but that she was in fact a field-competent officer and a skilled shooter too. She broke the closeness between them by taking a few steps back before looking at him again and whispering, "Let's not do this…" She paused to look around her before focusing on Flynn again and adding, "Here."

"Oh, so your rulebook says it's okay to do it, but not at work?" He teased her with a naughty smile, watching her with his arms crossed.

Sharon rolled her eyes and smacked his arm playfully as she replied, "Shut up, Lieutenant. Either lead the way or go home." She ordered taking her mug and putting it in the sink. "Alone." she added, turning around to throw him a deadly stare.

"Always so bossy, Captain." He answered back, leaving the break room with a foolish grin. He knew she would follow him soon after and that they would meet in the parking lot. He had no idea what they were doing. This was wrong on so many levels, but tonight they would set aside the rulebook to just live the moment, a perfectly wrong moment.

 ***PRESENT TIME – ANDY FLYNN'S HOUSE***

Sharon had managed to find most of her clothes in the Lieutenant's bedroom, only missing her blouse. After quickly dressing she now stood in front of the mirror, combing through her hair with her fingers while continuing to scan the room for her missing clothing. She sighed as she tried to recall what had happened about two hours ago and she groaned when she remembered where her blouse was.

 ***TWO HOURS BEFORE – ANDY FLYNN'S HOUSE***

"So this is where Lieutenant Andy Flynn lives." Sharon stated with a smirk as she stepped inside his house, looking around.

Flynn closed the door, put his badge and gun down on the console table and neared her. Sharon felt his hands on her waist as he turned her in his arms to face him before he whispered in a husky voice, "I can give you a quick tour of the house."

She smiled playfully at him while he drew her closer to him, still holding her waist. He leaned in to slowly whisper in her left ear, giving her goose bumps as his breath tickled the soft spot of her ear, "So this is the hallway… where I usually take off my jacket."

His hands moved from her waist up to the fabric of her blazer. He slowly took it away, brushing his hands along her now bare arms and tried to throw it on the coat hanger while kissing her. Flynn missed and the jacket fell to the floor. Sharon broke the kiss off and threw him an icy stare as she stated in a bossy tone, "You've just thrown a priceless Armani blazer on the floor, Lieutenant."

"I'll pay for the dry-cleaner, don't worry." He whispered to her as he began kissing down her neck. Sharon closed her eyes as a soft moan escaped her lips. He slowly moved her backwards as he guided her further inside his house. Flynn slid a hand under her blouse, stroking her soft skin and sending shivers down her spine. Goosebumps appeared on her arms once again as their movement was halted when she felt an obstacle behind her.

"This is the kitchen…" he spoke again, between kisses. "Where I cook the most exquisite meals… it usually gets very hot in here…"

"I didn't picture you as a kitchen man…" she managed to say, out of breath, as she looked at him with an arched eyebrow.

"This is one of my hidden skills… you know, I'm full of surprises…" he whispered in her ear before kissing her earlobe.

This last line made her heart flutter, feeling even more aroused. Before he could add something, she ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair and drew his head close to catch his lips in a passionate kiss. He didn't waste time in deepening the kiss while his hands fidgeted with her blouse. They broke the kiss only to allow him to pull her blouse over her head, the piece of clothing soon to be forgotten on the kitchen floor as he leaned in for another kiss.

"What do you say I'll show you the bedroom now?" he proposed with a smile, arousal clearly evident in his voice.

"Lead the way, Lieutenant." She ordered, her voice deeper with each passing second. She took hold of his tie to draw his face close to hers to add, "Immediately".

Flynn looked at Sharon bewildered as his hands came down to rest on her waist. Her eyes had become an intense and mesmerizing shade of green. He found himself at a loss for words and he smirked as he thought that it was the first time he was left speechless by a woman. He was normally the one in control but he could tell it wouldn't be that easy with Sharon Raydor.

"Yes, Captain." He simply answered back as his hands covered hers still holding his tie and he captured her lips for another kiss.

 ***PRESENT TIME – ANDY FLYNN'S HOUSE***

Sharon opened the bedroom door and took a look around before stepping out of the room. The hallway was empty and she slowly walked to the kitchen. She would take her blouse, her blazer, and her bag and leave quickly without looking back. That was the plan.

That was the plan until a tempting smell reached her nostrils. Her stomach growled and she stopped in her tracks when she found Andy Flynn in the kitchen, in dark gray pajama pants and a white undershirt. He was cutting some fruit and he smiled when he noticed her, "Hey…"

"Hey…" she answered back, feeling uneasy as she was standing dressed in her pencil skirt, but with only her bra as her blouse was still missing. She crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to cover herself and Flynn made her notice with a grin, "You're aware I saw you naked a few hours ago?" He indicated with a gesture toward her crossed arms and added, "So this isn't really necessary…"

"Unfortunately, yes, I'm aware of that." Sharon answered back, firmer than she wanted to and she immediately kind of felt bad about her rude tone.

Flynn sighed and looked away. _Here she is, Captain Raydor is back._ He walked to the counter and took the blouse he had carefully folded a while ago before walking back to her. They were standing face to face, his eyes switching between her eyes and the blouse he was holding in his hands. Sharon noticed he tried to fold it in the best way he could, even if she could tell he had some tips to learn about folding clothes. Flynn finally handed the blouse to her and their hands brushed when she took it. They exchanged a look and Sharon whispered with a shy smile, "Thank you."

He nodded and he was about to go back to his cooking when he added, "You look great by the way…"

She smiled and took a few steps forward to stand closer to him before telling him, "Can't say the same about you, you have flour on your face."

Without thinking, she reached for his cheek and wiped away the flour. When she realized she was stroking his face, she quickly pulled her hand down and looked away uncomfortably. Flynn cleared his throat and went back to cutting fruit before announcing, "Take a seat. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes."

Sharon put on her blouse and stood motionless, looking at him with a surprised face. She frowned as she turned her attention to the table he had set. There were orange juice and milk, along with two mugs with coffee. She then looked at him again and asked with a confused look, "What are we doing, Andy?"

Flynn stopped flipping the toast in the pan and turned around to look at her, still holding the spatula. He indicated the table and answered hesitantly, "Uhm… having breakfast?"

"I don't think it's a good idea." She quickly replied, a bit too quickly, straightening the wrinkles on her skirt with her hands.

"You didn't even taste my very special Flynn French Toast yet." He said jokingly, motioning for the pan. "Give the man some credit." He added with a puppy dog face before turning back to the stove.

Sharon couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, but it lasted only a few seconds before she got serious again as she added, frowning, "I mean us… Andy, what are we doing?"

Flynn stopped again and put down the spatula as he considered his next words. He paused to study her and he could read the confusion on her face. He simply asked, "Do we need to give a name to everything?"

"Right…" she admitted, not wanting to talk more about it. She wasn't in the mood for that kind of conversation and he clearly didn't want to think more about it either. She sat down and looked around her before adding, "I didn't expect you to be such a gentleman with all your conquests."

Flynn was putting some fruit on both plates when he stopped to meet her gaze. He smiled, arched an eyebrow, and asked her in a half serious and half playful tone, "Who told you I'm always like this?"

Sharon tried not to pay attention to any meaning behind his words as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before teasing him with a smirk, "Oh, so you're treating me well because I'm the Captain and you could get in trouble at work?"

"You said it, not me." He instantly replied raising his hands in surrender with a huge grin.

Sharon rolled her eyes, smiling as he picked up the plates and walked to her. He put one in front of her and the other one for him before introducing his specialty, "Here, have a taste of my Flynn's French Toast with ricotta cheese, peaches and blueberries. You know, ricotta is usually used to fill cannoli… Despite being cheese, it is often used for desserts." He explained before sitting down.

Sharon nodded and studied the plate. She smelled it and closed her eyes. It definitely looked tempting and she was surprised by Flynn's hidden skill. She never thought he would be great at cooking, let alone at food presentation. There was a harmony in the plate, blueberries and peaches offering great color contrasts. "Interesting," Sharon stated. "Not really French anymore though, more of a Sicilian Toast ." She added and Andy nodded to her in affirmation.

Sharon took a bite of it and closed her eyes, slowly chewing the food. It tasted heavenly. To Flynn's surprise, she moaned before saying, "It's so good." She delicately cleaned the corners of her mouth with her napkin before asking, "Where did you get the recipe?"

"Family recipe." He simply answered.

Sharon frowned, confused by the response. Before she could ask about his family connections Andy explained, "My mother is Italian. My father was American with Irish ancestry. As you may maybe have noticed, the surname Flynn has Irish origins."

"Interesting mix. Well now it explains why you're so hotheaded." She teased him half smiling as she held the mug in her hands and took a sip of her coffee.

Flynn looked at her bewildered, and he was still staring at her when she put down the mug and turned to meet his gaze with an innocent face, "What is it?"

"You did not just say that…" he muttered, faking offense.

Sharon laughed and took another bite of her food before telling him, "Andy, relax. I was teasing you."

Flynn rolled his eyes and laughed quietly, shaking his head. She kept surprising him. He would have never thought that the cold and strict Captain Raydor could be so likable. He would have never thought that he would have enjoyed breakfast with her. He would have never thought that they would have spent the night together. He didn't quite know how it all had happened. He couldn't explain what had led them to this situation and what had changed between them. To him, she wasn't that despicable FID officer anymore. With each passing day, he found something new and interesting about her and it made her each time more and more captivating.

"I didn't know you had such a great sense of humor, Captain Raydor." He finally said with a smirk.

"You're not the only one to have hidden skills." She stated offering him a mysterious smile. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Lieutenant Flynn," she teased him with a husky voice as she put another bite of French Toast in her mouth.

Flynn smiled and he put down his fork and slowly whispered, "Now you've got me curious." He leaned in and focused his attention on her before adding, "Go ahead, I'm all ears."

Sharon didn't say anything and kept staring at him mischievously, slowly chewing the food. She swallowed and then licked the corners of her mouth. Flynn couldn't take his eyes off her. He watched her as she seductively kept eating, not bothering to reply to his previous request. Sharon smiled satisfied as she noticed Flynn staring at her lips. She was aware of the effect she had on him and she rather enjoyed playing with him like that.

"You know this should be illegal." He whispered in a husky voice.

"What?" she asked putting on one of her most innocent faces.

"You eating my French Toast this way." Flynn replied indicating her plate with a confused hand gesture.

Sharon smiled and slowly took the last bite of food with her fork before holding it in Flynn's direction, as if offering it to him. After a few seconds of hesitation, he leaned in and was ready to grab it when she came closer and put the fork in her mouth. She quickly chewed and swallowed the food before offering him a malicious smile. She didn't move away and he didn't either. Their mouths were standing only a few inches apart and they looked at each other intensely. Flynn's eyes shifted from Sharon's intense green eyes to her inviting lips, once again surprising himself by thinking how beautiful she was. This must have been the first time he truly looked at her, studying each detail of her face and her beauty really struck him. It wasn't only a physical thing, he already knew by the way she dressed that she had a perfect body and the best legs. There was something more this time. He was seeing a part of her personality – relaxed, funny and sweet – that he clearly didn't expect to find in the cold, strict and tough Captain Raydor.

Suddenly, a ringtone interrupted the intimate moment. Flynn smiled at Sharon as he excused himself and stood up to look for his phone. He glanced at the ID and rolled his eyes before answering, "Flynn."

"What took you so long to answer, Flynn?" Provenza barked on the other side of the phone. Flynn sighed and didn't answer. There was no way he could give his partner the real explanation without causing the older Lieutenant to have a stroke. Flynn rubbed his eyes as he walked down the hallway, listening to what Provenza had to say to him.

Sharon couldn't hear much of the conversation, only a few glimpses of words that alone didn't make much sense. The conversation was short though because Flynn came back to sit at the table after a few minutes. Sharon could tell he was different. He looked tense. She tilted her head trying to read his mind before asking him quietly, "Is everything okay, Andy?"

Flynn snapped out of his thoughts. It was like he had forgotten Sharon was there. He sighed and looked down before finally answering, "Uhm not really… It was Provenza. He told me that Chief Johnson's mother died this morning…"

"What?!" Sharon exclaimed, covering her mouth in shock. "Willie Ray?" She couldn't believe it had happened. She remembered how nice and welcoming the Chief's mother had been with her last year during the Christmas Party and she felt a lump in her throat. Back then, Sharon had been feeling down for not being able to be with her children and her parents in Park City, but the older woman had known how to make her feel at ease and had made her smile with some embarrassing stories about her "friend" Brenda.

"Yeah… actually Chief found her mother dead in her bed this morning." Flynn explained with a dull tone.

"Oh Lord…" Sharon whispered as she covered her face with her hands and shook her head. "How is she doing?" she asked. She and Brenda weren't really friends, even if they had made progress, but Sharon she was still deeply and truly concerned. No one should experience such a traumatic event.

"How do you think?" Flynn retorted firmly.

Sharon looked down, taken aback by his tone. _Here he is again, hotheaded and aggressive Lieutenant Flynn,_ she thought. She put a strand of hair behind her ear, feeling uncomfortable and Flynn sighed, rubbing his eyes as he said apologetically, "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you." He paused as he tried to collect his thoughts, "It's just… it's just a shocking news and…"

Sharon nodded and she stood up from her chair as she answered, "It's okay, I get it." She paused to glance at him before adding hesitantly, "I-I should go."

She was about to walk away when he stood up too and grabbed her by the hand to stop her, "Sharon, wait."

She stopped and turned around to look at him. He all at once looked lost and she could see how much the recent news had shaken him. She knew he wasn't good at dealing with his feelings and emotions, and that was one of the reasons why he always had such a hard time in controlling his anger and outbursts. He cleared his throat and whispered, "Sharon, I-I didn't mean to… I-I…"

"Andy, it's okay, no worries. Really." She cut him short with a reassuring tone while putting a hand on his upper arm. "I have to go home and change before heading to work anyway…"

Sharon swore she read disappointment on Flynn's face, but she couldn't be sure. He wasn't the easiest person to read. Without thinking any further, she took a few steps forward and wrapped her arms around him. It took him a few seconds for him to react, but he hugged her back. She could feel him slowly relaxing and she snuggled deeper into his arms, breathing his scent before reluctantly breaking the hug. She smiled shyly at him and walked to the hallway where she put on her blazer and took her bag. She turned around and saw him study her, leaning against the wall. She ran a hand through her hair before whispering softly with a smile, "Thank you. Whatever it was, I enjoyed it."

He moved to the door, opening it for her and leaning against it as he added, "Whatever it was, I'd like it to happen again."

Sharon smiled at him and moved closer to him to give him a brief peck on the lips as she whispered, "Whatever it was, it will turn out the way it is meant to be. I'll see you at work, Lieutenant."

"Sure, Captain."

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 **Thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked this first chapter! I'd love to hear from you what you've thought about it, so feel free to leave a review. I'd appreciate it very much!**  
 **Chapter two coming soon! ;)**


	2. 30TH OF JULY 2013

**First of all, I'd like to thank all of you who read, reviewed, favorited or followed this story! I totally didn't expect so many reviews (in so many languages - Italian, Spanish, Portuguese - thank you to all of you who read it, even if English isn't your mother tongue) and I really appreciate each one of them. Truth to be told, I was really unsure about this piece, but your amazing words encouraged me to keep writing!**

 **So, here is the second chapter of my fic! I hope you will like it!**

 **Big shout-out to my amazing Beta, eelise187, for her patience and her constant support!**

 **Once again, I don't own the show or its characters.**

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 **CHAPTER TWO: 30TH OF JULY 2013**

 _"_ _So it's not like a date or anything?"_

 _"_ _Of course not, Lieutenant. I'm a married woman."_

Those words kept echoing in Andy's mind as he stopped in the parking lot of Sharon's condo. He was five minutes early. He took his phone and texted Sharon that he would be there in ten minutes, allowing her some extra time in case she wasn't ready yet. He still wasn't sure it was a good idea for him to show up at his daughter's wedding considering how much some people there despised him. Yet, the case they had just solved had hit home. Absent parents having no idea of what was going on in their son's life, having no clues that their son had been abused by his swim coach. It made Andy sick as he realized that something like that could have happened to his children, since he was pretty absent during their childhoods too.

Now, he knew he was just being silly. He could have missed out on one of the most important days in his daughter's life just because he didn't want to feel uncomfortable in an unwelcoming place. It was selfish of him and he had realized today that his daughter's happiness had to come first. He was ready to suffer the whole time; to bear Sandra's snarky words and people's glares. He was ready for all of this if it meant that he would bring a smile to Nicole's face, and that they would slowly be able to rebuild their relationship. He wasn't going to the wedding alone though, since Sharon offered to come along with him. Sharon, the buffer against his crazy family, but also against himself and his own self destruction. Sharon, his friend; that's how she had suggested introducing herself. Sharon, the married woman. _Here we are again,_ he thought as he closed his eyes and recalled the first time she used this excuse with him.

 ***MAJOR CRIMES DIVISION – 17TH OF AUGUST 2012***

 _Sharon closed the door of Chief Pope's office and walked away quickly. She ran a hand through her hair, frustration kicking in as she thought about the conversation she just had with Chief Pope and Commander Taylor. She was going to be the head of the Major Crimes Division now that Chief Johnson had left. Sharon didn't know how to feel about it. She knew it was going to be a challenge since Chief Johnson's team kind of hated her and moreover, she was aware of the fact that she was being used to make the department look good. Captain Raydor, former FID agent: rulebook fanatic. In theory, she was the perfect match for the Major Crimes Division to regain prestige after the large number of lawsuits Chief Johnson had managed to collect in her years in command._

 _Sharon held the folder containing the deal she had just signed against her chest. She didn't feel like this was a real deal though. She was being thrown to the wolves, having to face the impossible task of convincing the team to trust her, while simultaneously holding together a division that had cost the department way too much. Yes, she was being thrown to the wolves and she hadn't even obtained a promotion to sugarcoat the deal. She was still Captain Raydor and the deal she had just signed, accepting to lead the Major Crimes Division, was only convenient for the department. Yet, she wouldn't have turned down the offer, she loved challenges and she had never been a quitter. Today wasn't going to be the day she was giving up the fight._

 _She sighed as the exhaustion of the day slowly crept through her body. She just wanted to go home, pour herself a glass of wine, and figure out how she would deal with her new team. From the corner of her right eye, she saw the elevator doors opening. She quickened her pace to reach it as she called, "Just a second, wait please…"_

 _Sharon groaned as she saw the doors closing. She looked down, hoping no one saw her making a fool of herself running down the hallway only to have the elevator doors close in her face. She suddenly looked up, startled, when she heard a hollow banging sound and saw the elevator doors abruptly reopen._

 _Here in front of her stood the last person she expected – or wanted – to meet. Andy Flynn was smiling mischievously at her, a toothpick in his mouth as he was holding back the elevator door with his hand._

 _Sharon smiled despite herself and tried to hide the slight flush of her skin as he addressed her with a cheeky smile, "Captain."_

 _She nodded, "Lieutenant," as she stepped in and turned to face the doors, still holding the folder to her chest. She was doing her best to ignore him, but she could sense his intense stare on her. She could feel her skin burning under his look and she couldn't help but think of what had happened the last time he had checked her out like that. She hoped for the elevator ride to end quickly, because she wasn't sure of how much strength she had left in her for the day to resist his unique charm._

 _Andy smiled as he watched her pretending to ignore him. He put his toothpick in the pocket of his jacket as he checked her out, his eyes scanning her body and stopping at her legs. She did look great in pants, but he loved when she wore dresses, or like today, tight skirts. He could feel how torn she was and he wasn't going to let her go away so easily as he snuck up behind her. She closed her eyes as she felt him approach, his breath on her soft skin, only to open them again when she heard him speak, "So, Sharon I was thinking…" he slowly whispered in her ear, moving some strands of hair, exposing her neck._

 _Sharon closed her eyes again as she felt his cold fingers brush the side of her neck. She hummed as he went on, "What do you say to dinner at my place tonight?"_

 _She was about to give in, just like the previous times. She was having a hard time saying no to him, especially when he used that deeper tone with her. She suddenly regained her composure and answered, forcing her voice to sound firm, "I can't."_

 _Andy was taken aback for a few seconds before a smile reappeared on his face again as he reassured her, "Oh, okay, no worries." He brushed a hand down her arm before suggesting with another of his charming smiles, "Rain check?"_

 _Sharon could feel his lips coming closer to her neck and before he could kiss her, she abruptly moved away from him, turning to face him before saying strictly, "Andy, we can't keep doing this."_

 _Sharon was a bit short with him causing Andy to frown. He couldn't explain her sudden change of mood. She never alluded to something like that all the times they had met after their first night. "It will turn out the way it is meant to be," she had told him and when they had encountered each other after that, they didn't even wonder about their relationship. She didn't say a word when he had quickly intercepted her in the Major Crimes Division's hallway, inviting her to come over his house at the end of the shift. He didn't say a word either when she texted him proposing he pick up some food and meet her at her condo._

 _Sharon was now suddenly taking a step back and this was new to him. Andy questioned her with a look, but soon he understood that she wasn't willing to say more. He crossed his arms over his chest and asked her, annoyance clearly showing in his voice, "Where did that come from?"_

 _Sharon sighed as she rubbed her forehead. She knew that it wasn't going to be easy, but she would have never thought that it would be this hard. She didn't expect Andy to be so bothered and to insist so much. She had always pictured him as a womanizer and would have imagined him to barely shrug his shoulders as a reaction. Possibly even to say that it was her loss, but none of this had happened. He was simply staring at her and she wouldn't dare to think that he looked kind of hurt. Sharon swallowed hard before replying, her voice sounding not as firm as before, "We can't keep on." She paused, considering her next words, "Andy, please don't make things any more difficult."_

 _"_ _And that's it?" Andy exclaimed, raising his hands in surrender. "You're not going to explain yourself?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief._

 _"_ _No." she simply answered, turning to face the elevator doors again._

 _Andy opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. He shook his head again, trying to control himself before reaching for the elevator buttons. The elevator came to a forced stop, causing Sharon to nearly lose her balance. She put her hand against the door to support herself before turning around, barely holding her anger back as she exclaimed, "What do you think you're doing?!"_

 _Andy looked unimpressed. He crossed his arms over his chest again as he answered firmly, "I want to know what's going on."_

 _He was driving her crazy. Sharon bit her upper lip, as she felt like screaming at him. She took a deep breath but when she met his challenging look, she couldn't hold back her anger and told him harshly, "Oh so you had no better idea than holding me hostage in an elevator?!" She threw him a deathly glare before adding, emphasizing every word, "Make it start again!"_

 _"_ _Not until you tell me what's wrong with you." He shot back, his voice louder this time._

 _"_ _Lieutenant Flynn, that's an order!" she yelled at him, but her order didn't have the effect that she had expected, as Andy stood motionless, staring at her. It irritated her even more and she added, "Make it start again, or I'll do it myself."_

 _"_ _Suit yourself." He spit back, but didn't move, standing in front of the elevator controls._

 _Sharon tried to reach for one of the floor buttons, but Andy stopped her, catching her wrist. She tried to set herself free, but he was holding her tightly. "Andy, let me go!" she ordered him. She stopped struggling and they stood motionless, their faces only a few inches apart, eyes locked in a silent battle of wills. Andy took advantage of the situation to take the folder she was holding in her other hand and walk away from her._

 _Sharon's mouth widened as she realized what he was now holding in his hands. She had to get it back before he opened the folder. She neared him quickly, her voice getting colder as she ordered him, "Give it back to me, Andy!" When she saw no reaction from him, she yelled, "Immediately!"_

 _Sharon tried to take it back herself but Andy kept the folder away from her as he opened it and started reading. Sharon noticed his eyes widen as he realized what he was holding in his hands, and she knew that he had found out what was going on. He closed the folder quickly as he looked down, but he didn't say a single word. Sharon felt that she had to say something, she quietly took a step forward, whispering, "Andy…"_

 _Andy didn't react at first. He stood motionless, his eyes to the floor until he looked up, anger flashing through his darkened eyes. "So this is the big secret." He stated coldly as he held the folder in front of her. "This is the reason for all this?" He questioned her, even if he didn't need her to reply, he already had his answer._

 _Sharon rubbed her temples, briefly closing her eyes before sighing. Nothing was going as planned, and the fact that she was blocked in an elevator was starting to upset her. She began to sweat as the air was slowly heating up. She wanted to get out of there immediately, but the thought of hitting the button and making the elevator start again felt wrong. She couldn't leave him without at least trying to explain the situation._

 _Sharon sighed as she whispered, tiredness clearly obvious in her voice, when she took back the folder in her hands, "Andy, please, you shouldn't even have known." She ran a hand through her hair before she tried to explain, "I wasn't supposed to inform you of the change of status before it was revealed to the team…"_

 _Andy smirked ironically, he sighed and shook his head at her explanation before shooting back at her mockingly, raising his voice, "Oh yeah, God forbid if for once you broke a damn rule!"_

 _Sharon ground her teeth at his choice of words. If there was something that highly disturbed her it was when people swore and this made her even madder. She clenched her fists, holding herself back from slapping him in the face as she hissed, "I won't allow you to talk to me like that, Lieutenant!"_

 _Andy had already turned his back to her, taking a few steps away when he stopped. He abruptly turned around and he shot back, pointing a finger at her, "Don't you dare go using this rank thing with me, Sharon!" His voice grew even louder when he added, "Don't you dare go using it every time the conversation gets too uncomfortable for you to handle."_

 _"_ _I'd like to remind you, Lieutenant..." She emphasized the last word, totally ignoring what he had just said to her, "that I am the Captain and as your superior, you're required to speak to me respectfully."_

 _Andy felt anger boiling up inside him as he shook his head in disbelief, disgust showing on his face. He met her challenging eyes and he couldn't hold back anymore as he exclaimed, "You're talking about respect when you were the one about to run away giving no explanation?!" He started pacing and after a few seconds he added, "Do you even give a shit about other people?! Do you think you can use them and then throw them away like old trash?!"_

 _"_ _I didn't use you, Andy!" She immediately answered, feeling hurt about the fact that he would think that she didn't care anything about him. It was more complicated than that, and she just wished she didn't have to be in such a delicate position, having to choose between her professional and private life. There wouldn't be much of a choice though. Except for her children, her private life had been a failure: an estranged husband from whom she had been separated for years, and then an empty condo to go home to, since her children left a few years ago and were both living in two different cities. Her professional life instead had been rewarding: she was a leading woman in a male dominated environment, plus she had succeeded in becoming a Captain through her own strength and determination, with no compromises and no shortcuts. She was now about to lead one of the most prestigious and important divisions in Los Angeles. She couldn't possibly jeopardize her career for a collection of one-night stands with a cheeky and hot-headed Lieutenant. It was nothing serious, and she doubted that with Andy Flynn it would ever become something more than frivolous encounters._

 _Andy ignored her and walked to the elevator controls. He hurriedly pushed a button, making the elevator start again. He was going to be out of here very soon, and then she would be out of his mind. He would forget her and move on. She was nothing more than a collection of one-night stands… or at least that was what he was telling himself. He clenched his fists and before he could control himself, he punched the elevator wall. Sharon jumped, startled as she wasn't expecting such an excessive reaction and said firmly, "Andy, stop it." Her tone then softened as she whispered softly, "You're going to hurt yourself."_

 _"_ _Like you care." He shot back coldly, rubbing his hurting hand._

 _Sharon wanted to yell at him that she did care, and that she hated seeing him that angry because of her. She wanted to yell at him that she hadn't expected anything like this to happen, her getting to lead the Major Crimes division had never been in her plans, but it had happened and they had to now to find a way to work together despite everything. Sharon wanted to yell, but she didn't. She looked down and stayed quiet. The elevator ride was almost over, she caught his eyes again. Behind his angry behavior, Sharon could tell that he was disappointed and maybe even hurt, if that kind of feeling even belonged to Andy Flynn. He said nothing, he just kept staring at her and she felt that she had to say something, something that could make the situation better, if possible. She finally spoke, but the words that came out of her mouth had never felt so wrong, "Andy, change of status or not, we couldn't have kept on. I'm a married woman."_

 _Andy laughed and Sharon stared at him in disbelief. Of all the reactions, she surely didn't expect that kind of answer, and she wondered what on earth she had said to make him laugh in her face. She didn't have to wonder for long, because when he stopped, he replied mockingly, "Your marriage didn't seem to bother you yesterday evening."_

 _"_ _Don't you dare…" she hissed. That was enough. She walked quickly to him, holding her right hand in the air, but she stopped when she looked at him in the eyes. She couldn't do it without jeopardizing their fragile balance. She put her hand down. She was glad she had been able to stop her impulse before it was too late._

 _Andy however had understood her intention and he was so mad that he couldn't stop himself from provoking her, "Go ahead, you want to slap me, Sharon? Go ahead."_

 _"_ _Andy, please…" she groaned in frustration as she rubbed her temples. Just when she thought it couldn't get worse, she could feel a headache coming her way._

 _"_ _Oh no, that's fine Captain." He said, raising his hands in defeat before adding with a grimace, "That's how I should address you, right?" The elevator doors finally opened and Andy turned to walk out as he told her without turning back, "Don't worry, I won't be a problem anymore…"_

 _Sharon didn't even have the time to say something in return, as Andy turned around to meet her gaze, "Oh and congrats on the job, Captain. Just don't expect the team to reciprocate the feeling." He added coldly before turning his back and walking away, leaving Sharon speechless in the middle of the elevator._

Andy rubbed his eyes and sighed as he recalled this moment. He had been an ass to her that day, but his pride was hurt. He had a reputation inside the department of being a womanizer; he wasn't used to be dumped, he was usually the one doing the dumping. He had been salty for a few weeks, ignoring her and barely sparing her a passing look. When he had yelled at her during her first case as the lead of the Major Crimes division, that every problem the team had was because of her, she had immediately understood that he wasn't only speaking of their job.

Andy jumped when he heard soft knocks on his car window. He looked up and saw Sharon, standing outside of his car with a shy smile. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't even notice her leaving her building and walking to his car. He instantly got off his car to meet her, "Hey Capt- Sharon…" he corrected himself with a smile.

"Hi Andy." She whispered softly.

Andy took a moment to look at her. She had chosen a knee-length purple pencil dress, hugging her body perfectly, the short sleeves covering her shoulders, and her hair combed up in a half up and half down hairstyle. She looked heavenly. He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair, feeling a little uncomfortable before complimenting her shyly, "You look stunning."

Sharon blushed and she took a step forward, standing even closer to him before answering, "And so do you…. You look dashing, Andy." She smiled before whispering, "Just allow me…" Before he could say anything, Sharon reached for his lilac tie and smiled, thinking to herself that their outfits were matching. She delicately adjusted the knot of his tie, causing Andy to look away, feeling somewhat awkward at their sudden proximity. She finally let go of his tie and said with a soft smile, "There, much better…"

Andy met her gaze and smiled back at her as he whispered a barely audible _thank you_. Sharon took a few steps back as he led her to the other side of the car. He opened the door for her and she got in before he closed it and walked to the driver's seat.

Once inside, he fastened his seat belt and before he started the car, he turned to her and said with a soft smile, "Let's go."

* * *

Since they had left the condo, the drive had been silent, Andy focusing on the road while Sharon stared absentmindedly out of her window. They had both been lost in their thoughts and Andy was clasping the steering wheel nervously as he started to worry about the continuation of the evening. He glanced at Sharon who was still staring outside her window, he couldn't tell if she was bored or nervous. He felt he had to say something to ease the tension.

"You know, you still have time to ask me to take you back home." He joked as an attempt to break the silence.

"Why would I do that?" she asked him quietly, turning to look at him.

Andy wasn't sure she had caught the joking tone in his voice, so he offered her a smile before answering, "Well I wouldn't blame you if you want to avoid some crazy family drama."

"Andy, I'll be fine." She reassured him. "I have had my fair share of navigating hostile environments." Sharon teased with a smirk.

Andy snorted as the car stopped at a red light. He turned to look at Sharon as he added with a grin, "I don't know why, but I have a feeling that I was one of those people who contributed to creating a hostile environment."

"Well…" Sharon said, considering her next words. "Let's say that you, Lieutenant, have been the perfect training ground for my patience and diplomatic skills." She added with a smile.

"Uhm… Is this your diplomatic way of saying that I was an absolute jerk back then?" he questioned her, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

Sharon laughed softly before answering with a teasing tone, "Maybe."

Andy rolled his eyes as the light changed and he turned his attention back to the road. They went silent again, Sharon checking her phone as Andy glanced nervously at the car clock. There was only thirty minutes before the beginning of the wedding and he was still trying to convince himself that he was doing the right thing.

He cleared his throat before saying, "You know… the case we've closed today got me thinking. I just can't chase away the thought that what happened to Mateo Torres could have happened to my children."

Andy kept his eyes on the road, but he was sure that if he were looking at Sharon's face, he would see her furrowed eyebrow and her questioning gaze. He then explained, "I messed up so much during my children's childhoods. I was never there. Sandra did an amazing job with the kids, but she couldn't always be present, since she worked pretty hard too… The kids were often on their own. Nicole learned ballet, Matthew went to baseball training. I can't count how many times they went home with some other kids' parents we didn't even know well..." Andy paused as he swallowed hard before whispering, "Something could have happened to them and I wouldn't have even known."

"Andy…" Sharon whispered softly. "Don't worry your head off. It didn't happen. Your children grew up to be amazing adults." She paused searching for his eyes, but he kept looking at the road. "Yes, you've made mistakes in the past, but now you're here, trying to fix things, trying to make things right…"

"I'm trying my best, but I almost messed it up again today." He admitted, shame creeping inside of him.

"Andy…" she whispered, putting her hand on his forearm. "You weren't going to mess it up again. Mateo's case hit home with you, but you had already made the decision to go to the wedding on your own. There was no way you were going to miss this special day, especially after what we've just experienced at work today."

Andy glanced briefly first at her hand on his forearm, then at Sharon for a few seconds, offering her a shy smile before focusing on driving again. He found it was easier for him to talk to her without looking at her, he knew that if he would have met her eyes, he wouldn't have said half of the thing he wanted to tell her.

"Thank you, Sharon… and I don't mean it only for what you've just said to me. Thank you for sticking with me and offering to come along with me to the wedding. I know it is a lot to ask, but I am very grateful to have you by my side."

"Oh Andy, you are more than welcome." Sharon whispered, touched by his words. "It is indeed a pleasure to attend your daughter's wedding and to finally meet her… Besides what kind of friend would I be if I left you to handle it all alone?"

Andy briefly turned to meet her gaze as Sharon offered him a smile. He smiled back at her, but he said nothing as the word _friend_ kept echoing in his mind. He turned the corner into the parking lot and pulled into an empty spot before turning off the engine. A soft laugh escaped his lips and Sharon looked at him with a frown on her face. "What's so funny?" she asked.

"Oh, I am hoping to do better than that one time when Chief introduced you to her parents as her friend. I'd like to avoid using the word _Captain_ in the same sentence as _friend_ and _Sharon_."

"Oh my God, don't remind me of that moment." Sharon exclaimed as she laughed. "That was so embarrassing." She added, rolling her eyes before running a hand through her hair. "To you, I'm just your friend Sharon. Not Captain, not Raydor."

"Gotcha Captain." He teased her with a grin; she playfully smacked his arm before laughing softly.

Andy's smile didn't last long as he suddenly became serious. Sharon noticed it and she could see how tense he was and how he clasped at the steering wheel even though the car was now turned off. She delicately put her hand on his shoulder before whispering to him with a reassuring smile, "Remember Andy, you've got me as a buffer, as needed, okay?"

He nodded as he slowly released the steering wheel to put his hand over hers. He squeezed it before letting it go and Sharon added, "Everything will turn out fine. Your daughter will be so happy to see you. This day is all hers, and yours." Sharon unbuckled her seat belt before turning and smiling at him, "Come on, let's get in there and enjoy the moment."

They got off the car and made their way to the church. A bunch of people were waiting outside and Andy did his best to avoid their gaze and to quickly reach the church door. They went inside and Sharon made the sign of the cross, quickly followed by Andy. The Church was half full and a little noisy as people walked around, greeting and talking to each other. Andy took a look around, feeling slightly uncomfortable when he spotted his ex-wife, Sandra, in the crowd. He nodded to her as a greeting and she did the same. He then turned to Sharon and whispered in her ear, "Come on, let's go find Nicole. I want to introduce her to you."

Sharon smiled and quickly followed him as they made their way through the crowd. She felt Andy take her hand as he guided her through the crowd, avoiding people along the way. They reached a narrow hallway and Andy noticed a door with a ribbon on it. He knocked softly and he then heard his daughter's voice saying to come in. He opened the door for Sharon and quickly followed.

Nicole looked up, a smile appearing on her face when she saw her father. She was wearing an ivory empire draped-dress while her hair fell in soft curls down and around her shoulders. She was glowing.

"Dad, you came!" she exclaimed, tears in her eyes when she quickly walked up to him and hugged him tight.

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world" he whispered softly to her. He slowly released her and looked at her before adding, moved, "Nicole you're absolutely breathtaking."

His daughter blushed and thanked him before stroking her father's cheek as she answered, "Don't get emotional, Dad, or I'm going to lose it too."

Andy smiled and then stepped to the side. He noticed Nicole looking at Sharon and before his daughter could ask anything, he gestured toward Sharon and said with a smile, "Nicole, I want to introduce you to my friend, Sharon."

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this second chapter! Don't hesitate to tell me what you felt about it, I'd appreciate it very much!**

 **Stay tuned for Chapter 3!**


	3. 30TH OF JULY 2014

**Again, thank you so much to all of you who read, reviewed, favorited or followed this story! Your reviews fill my heart with joy and I really appreciate each one of them.**

 **So, here is the third chapter of my fic! I hope you will like it!**

 **Special thanks to my amazing Beta, eelise187, for her patience and her constant support!**

 **Once again, I don't own the show or its characters.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER THREE: 30TH OF JULY 2014**

Sharon could still hear the laughter and voices from last night filling her living room. She smiled as she thought of how great Rusty's high school graduation party had turned out, and how happy her soon to be-son was. She would always recall this night as a special moment. She was glad she had been stubborn enough to organize the party, even if Rusty wasn't in the mood for it.

Sharon prepared herself a tea and left it on one of the kitchen counter, allowing it to cool down. The team finally had a day-off and she had taken advantage of it to spend a lazy morning at home. She had put on a comfy blouse, a pair of jeans, and hadn't really thought about how she would spend the rest of the day.

Sharon picked up her tea and neared the table, picking up the album she had asked everyone at the party to leave a message for Rusty, and took her a seat. It was her idea: she wanted to give it to Rusty after she filled it with the pictures from last night, so he would have some great memories of his graduation. It was an important step in his life, a step that he seemed so far from reaching two years ago when he was left on his own, living on the streets. She was now only waiting for the pictures to transform a simple book in a beautiful photo album full of memories.

She could picture her son Ricky rolling his eyes at her while repeating that photo albums were old-fashioned. While also pointing out that technologies had made huge progress in recent years, and that it was useless to collect pictures in albums that would only fill with dust, when they could simply look at all the photos they wanted on their laptops. She had heard Ricky's speech God knows how many times and each time, she would shake her head at him, snorting before answering that she loved being old-fashioned. Truth be told, Sharon loved collecting pictures, choosing the best ones, and organizing them on a page to see which ones fit best next to the others before pasting them. Sharon also loved sitting on her couch after a hard day, or during a rainy day, and looking through her children's pictures, smiling and wondering, _how did time fly_?

Shaking her head at the thought she returned her attention to the album. The book was still open and when she looked at it, she smiled when she noticed who the last one to write a message had been: _Andy_. Curiosity overcame her, and she couldn't hold back. She took the album, and sat back in her armchair as she started reading. She noticed Andy had applied himself in writing in the best way he could, the resulting handwriting hesitant, but more understandable than everything else she had ever read from him. The note was brief; she knew Andy was a man of few words and that he wasn't really used to dealing with emotions and feelings, so her smile grew even wider when she read,

 _Congratulations Rusty!_

 _You have reached an important step, and way more brilliantly than what I did back in my day. You can be proud of yourself; I know for sure that Sharon is._

 _Keep going, with Sharon by your side I know you can only do amazing things! You're one lucky kid!_

 _Andy (Lieutenant Flynn)_

Sharon laughed softly at his rank and how he had put it in parentheses, as if he had doubted Rusty would know that his name was Andy. She then noticed her own eyes glistening as she closed the album. She hadn't expected such a sweet note from Andy. Now she understood why he had looked slightly embarrassed last night when he had finished writing the note, quickly saying goodbye to her, and giving her a brief hug before leaving.

Andy had stayed after the party to help her clean the condo, they hadn't talked much, except the typical things people say after a successful event, " _it was a great night", "a beautiful party", "I had fun_ ". They had thrown away the plastic glasses and plates in silence, smiling at each other when they happened to meet each other's gazes. She had thanked him for the help and he had offered to throw away the garbage for her on his way out.

As he was about to leave he stopped in his tracks and whispered to her that he had to sign the book for Rusty. He had walked quickly to the table, taken the book, and sat in the armchair where Sharon was now sitting. He had sat for a few minutes motionless, the pen resting on his lips while he considered the best thing to write. Sharon had watched him from afar, allowing him some time alone to think, not wanting to pressure him. She had watched with a smile on her lips, finding him so endearing as he looked fully focused on an invisible point in front of him, his eyebrow furrowed and fingers fidgeting with the pen. When he had finally managed to write down the message, he had put the book on the table again and had walked to her, slightly blushing as he ran a hand through his hair.

Sharon's memories were interrupted by the beeping sound of her phone. She stood from the armchair, still holding the book against her. She walked to her bedroom where she left the album, still needing to write her message for Rusty, before returning to check her phone. When reentered to the living room, she took her phone out and noticed she had received an email from Amy. She quickly read it; seeing that Amy had sent her the pictures she had taken last night. The younger woman had kindly offered to use her camera to take pictures throughout the evening. Sharon had thanked her, and Amy had reassured her that she would send the pictures to her Captain very quickly. The detective had kept her promise as it was only midday and she had sent a _wetransfer_ link to download all the pictures. Sharon took out her laptop and downloaded the pictures after sending a reply thanking Amy.

Sitting at the dinning table, Sharon took a sip of her tea and was about to open the folder to look at the pictures when her eyes fell on her phone once again. She stopped and stared at it for a few seconds before taking it and quickly typing.

* * *

Andy was sitting on his couch, lazily zapping from channel to channel. He couldn't seem to find anything interesting, or at least he couldn't focus on anything to find it interesting enough to hold his attention. This wasn't how he had pictured his day-off, he was feeling restless, and he couldn't explain why. He hadn't slept much. He had gone to bed late last night. He had stayed longer at Sharon's condo to help her clean after Rusty's graduation party, which unsurprisingly was a hit. He had had no doubt that it would be, as he knew that everything Sharon did was a success. The woman was determined and didn't take no for an answer. So when Rusty had told her that he didn't want a graduation party, she made it her personal mission to prove to him how wrong he was about it and of course, she had succeeded. She had been right, as always. He smirked at the thought before returning his attention to the television.

The news was talking about some woman found dead on the beach in Santa Monica so Andy changed channel. There was no way he was going to listen to the gruesome details of a murder on his day off. He needed to take his mind off of work, at least for the day. He leaned in and took the mug that was on the small table before raising it to his lips to drink his coffee. His phone started buzzing and he frowned as he put his mug down on the table again and took out his phone. A smile crossed his face when he read the text he had just received,

 _"What do you say to going through last night's pictures with me? Amy has just sent them."_

Andy didn't even think about it as he started typing,

 _"Okay, I can be there in 30. How about I pick up some food along the way?"_

He stood from the couch and went to his bedroom. He was going to keep his jeans on, but wanted to change into a more decent t-shirt. He opened his closet and started looking for one. He stopped when he found a light blue one and he quickly put it on as his phone buzzed again. He grabbed his phone, that he had left on his bed, and read her answer,

 _"Deal. I'll wait for you."_

He smiled as he closed his closet and wrote one last text,

 _"What would you like for lunch? Chinese, Italian, salads…?"_

Andy walked back to the living room and turned off the television before reaching the hallway where he picked up his wallet and keys. He opened the door and was about to leave when his phone buzzed again. Sharon's answer made him grin,

 _"Surprise me."_

* * *

When the doorbell rang, Sharon looked at the clock and smiled as she noticed that he was right on time. She went to open the door and found a casually dressed Andy holding several bags in his arms.

"Hey there…" Sharon greeted him, coming closer to drop a quick peck to his cheek. "Did you just order the whole restaurant?" She commented with a laugh, arching an eyebrow.

"Hey woman, I know you're always hungry so I want to make sure you'll be satiated after this lunch." He grinned.

She playfully smacked his arm before helping him with the bags. She took two and Andy stepped in, closing the door, "Sharon, I'll just need your freezer for this." He said showing her a smaller brown bag.

"Sure." She answered with a smile walking to the kitchen and opening the freezer. He watched her walk away and noticed she was wearing jeans. He wasn't used of seeing her dressed like this and it brought a smile to his lips. The woman looked great, even in casual clothes, and could make plain jeans look amazing. Sharon suddenly turned around and asked him, curiosity settling into her mind, "What is it?"

Quickly schooling his expression, to hide any chance he would be caught once again staring at Sharon he pulled a rectangular container from the bag. He put it in the freezer before answering with a grin, "Gelato."

Sharon's face lit up when she heard the word and he couldn't help but laugh softly in return. She looked like a child at Christmas and to him, it was endearing. Andy closed the freezer and then asked with a smile, "Lunch first, or pictures?"

"Definitely lunch." She immediately answered as she walked to the table. "I'm curious to see what you've picked up."

Andy followed her and noticed that Sharon had already set the table with red placemats, plates, and cutlery. She put the bags down on the table, and he did the same. Just when she was about to peek into one of the bags, he stopped her, nudging her shoulder as he said, "Wait a minute, lady." He motioned for her to sit while he slowly opened the brown bags, "Take a seat and don't be so impatient. I'm taking care of everything."

"I'm not impatient." She corrected him, frowning as she sat down. "I'm starving. There's a difference."

"Of course, there is." He teased her with a smile. He began to set out the food from the bags, putting them on the table with a small introduction, "So, first we have antipasto… tuna tartare with avocado and capers, and then eggplant zucchini meatballs."

Sharon clapped her hands, satisfied with the food Andy was putting on the table. She smiled while she kept eyeing Andy as he kept introducing to her the following dishes, "Then the main courses are salmon with pistachio crust, Greek salad, and veal escalope with mushrooms." He moved to the last bag before continuing, "Okay, and finally the sides: some oven roasted Mediterranean vegetables and I picked this up for the kid, roasted potatoes, since I know he's not a fan of too many vegetables. Oh I also ordered some rosemary and sea salt Focaccia bread instead of normal bread…"

"Oh my God, Andy, everything looks so delicious!" Sharon exclaimed eyeing all of the food in front of her. "Where is all of this from?"

"There's this new place about ten minutes from your condo. It's a Mediterranean restaurant, I can't remember the name right now." He paused trying to remember the name, but failed, looking around, he asked, "So I gather Rusty isn't home… Where is he anyway?"

"He's out with Buzz." She then looked at all the food on the table before saying apologetically, "Oh, Andy, I should have specified. I'm sorry."

"Hey, no worries. It means more food for us, right?" he told her with a grin. "I chose the veal escalope for Rusty, so maybe if you don't like it you can put it aside for him for dinner?" he asked, feeling a bit insecure.

"Don't worry, I'd like to taste the veal escalope too. I'm not difficult when it comes to food. You know that." She reassured him with a grin.

Andy smiled as he finally sat down and he added, "My mother used to say: better too much food and leftovers, than too little food and starving tummies."

Sharon laughed softly before meeting his gaze and replying, "That's an interesting way of putting it, and I can't object to that."

"You could never object to anything Mamma Flynn said." He stated wistfully as he looked down, memories of his late mother coming to his mind.

"I would have loved to meet her." Sharon whispered softly in a soothing voice, putting her hand on his as she sensed him getting suddenly sad.

Andy looked up and offered her a strained smile before adding truthfully, "She would have loved you…" he stopped talking before shaking his head at his choice of words and correcting himself, "My mother loved everybody, but you… she would have adored you and adopted you as another daughter."

Sharon smiled sweetly at him. She wasn't used to seeing him so vulnerable and the mention of his late mother exposed him in a way that rarely happened. Andy ran a hand through his hair, feeling in some way stupid for not being able to control his emotions. He then looked at the dishes and smiled truthfully as he exclaimed, "So what are we waiting for? You were starving!" He then took the two antipasto and asked, "What would you like to taste first?"

"Are we sharing?" Sharon asked looking at both dishes, not knowing which to choose first.

"Sure if it's what you want."

Sharon's smile grew wider as she nodded. Andy then took a spoon and put half of the tuna tartare on her plate, as well as some of the vegetarian meatballs. He then scooped the other half onto his plate and they started to eat silently. Andy glanced at Sharon, hoping she liked the food. He didn't have to worry long though, because after she took a bite of her focaccia with some tuna tartare, she moaned, "It is SO good!"

"You like it?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes, Andy. It is perfect. Thank you for this." She told him squeezing his hand. "I have to confess that after the party last night, I didn't feel like doing anything today, not even feeding myself."

"I'm glad I saved a damsel in distress today." Andy joked.

"I was not in distress, Andy." She immediately replied, crossing her arms on her chest and faking annoyance, "I still know how to pick up a phone and call to order food."

"Right, I forgot your number one superpower: ordering food." He teased her with a smirk.

Sharon put her hand over her mouth, looking falsely offended before she smacked his arm playfully as she threatened him, "Don't get smart with me, Andrew Flynn because I can still kick you out of my condo, and I'm keeping all the food."

"You wouldn't do that!" Andy exclaimed, his mouth wide open in shock.

"Don't try me." She said forcing herself to sound serious, but couldn't keep it for long when she looked at Andy's puppy dog face. Sharon burst out laughing, quickly followed by Andy. He stopped laughing and simply watched her as she covered her mouth with her hand. He couldn't help but think about how much he loved spending time with her. She could draw a smile to his face anytime, and he felt blessed for having such a special friend in his life. Sharon's laugh slowly faded and she looked at him, raising an eyebrow, "What is it?" She questioned for the second time that afternoon.

"Nothing…" he answered blushing slightly, not wanting to tell her the truth. He then showed her a meatless meatball, taking advantage to change the subject, "You should try the meatballs… or polpette as we say in Italian."

Andy offered the one he was holding to her and Sharon was about to take it, but just when her fingers were about to touch it, Andy brought it to his mouth and started chewing it. Sharon looked at him, bewildered as she crossed her arms over her chest and a small pout appeared on her face. Andy laughed softly and Sharon stuck her tongue out at him as she held up one of the meatballs she had in her plate.

"Polpette…" Sharon repeated, trying to pronounce it in the best way. "I like this word…"

"Yeah, polpette is neutral. It can be vegetables, fish… not only meat as would imply the word _meatball._ "

Sharon nodded as she took a bite of the meatball. It tasted heavenly and her smile grew even wider as she slowly chewed, enjoying the delicate taste of the eggplants and zucchini.

The rest of the meal went on perfectly. Sharon tasted every dish, and didn't stop repeating to Andy how pleased she was of the food and their lunch. Once they had finished, he helped her clear the table and set aside the leftovers. Sharon insisted on washing the dishes later because she couldn't wait to look at the pictures. She took out the laptop and put it on the dining table as Andy called to her from the kitchen, "So what do you say? You want the gelato now?"

"Of course!" she cheerfully exclaimed as she stood to rejoin him. His back was turned to her when she entered the kitchen; he had taken two cups, and was struggling with scooping some gelato with the spoon. She silently watched him and then snuck up behind him, standing on her tiptoes to put a hand on his arm and to glance over his shoulder, "So, what flavors do we have?"

Andy smiled as he felt her breath in his neck. He turned around to answer and was a little taken aback at their sudden proximity. Her lips were only a few inches from his and he had a hard time in not staring at them. Sharon slowly took a step back and smiled shyly at him while he uncomfortably ran a hand through his hair before answering, "Well I've actually spent a lot of time in choosing the flavors, so let's hope I got them right. There are five: coffee, pistachio, amarena, stracciatella, and chocolate for the kid."

"Gosh so many! I just need you to explain the two you've said…Ama…"

"Amarena and Stracciatella." He interrupted her with a smile. "Amarena is cream based gelato with sour cherries and their syrup while Stracciatella is a milk-based ice cream with chocolate chips."

"Oh my God, I want them all!" She exclaimed cheerfully. She then paused and corrected herself, "Well everything except chocolate. That one is for Rusty."

"Take a seat, gelato is coming, Ma'am." Andy told her with a smile as he started filling the cups.

Sharon sat at the table again and Andy joined her a few minutes later, giving her her cup before sitting down with his own. She immediately tried the ice cream and hummed softly as she closed her eyes briefly. When she reopened them, she told Andy with a smile, "The gelato is just the cherry on top. Everything was so delicious. Thank you, Andy."

"You're more than welcome." He answered with a smile. "Shall we?" he then asked pointing to the laptop.

"Oh sure!" she exclaimed, putting the gelato spoon back in the cup. "Sorry, I just got a little carried away with the gelato…"

Andy laughed softly as she opened the pictures folder. The first one to appear was a picture of the condo, filled with balloons. She quickly changed the picture, and the following were of Rusty first alone, then with every member of the team.

Sharon smiled as she took another spoon of gelato before saying, "These pictures are perfect for the album I want to make for Rusty…" Sharon looked at Andy who was silently listening to her and she added, "I have this idea of putting all the pictures from last night into a photo album, so he can have some great memories of his high school graduation. That's why I asked everybody to write a small message for him…" she explained.

"That's a beautiful idea, Sharon." He told her truthfully.

"You think? Because I know that Ricky will tell me that it's an old-fashioned thing and that with today's technologies, photo albums are something totally useless." She repeated the words she was sure her son would have said while rolling her eyes.

"Well, I'm old fashioned too then because I really like your idea." He smiled before getting serious again as he added, "The kid will love it, I'm sure of it."

Sharon smiled as she kept browsing through the pictures. There were some of each member of the team: Tao talking with Rusty, Julio fooling around, Buzz talking with Taylor and Provenza…

"What is Provenza doing anyway?" Andy wondered, holding back a laugh as he took a closer look at the picture. "Is he trying to take a selfie with a camera?" He asked, frowning.

"It looks like it to me." Sharon answered with a grin.

"Oh Jesus, look at his face. How many drinks did he have when the picture was taken?" He exclaimed bewildered.

They both laughed and before she could move to the next picture Andy told her, "You definitely need to send me that picture. It could be very useful for me if I ever want to blackmail the old guy."

"No way, Andy, there's no way you're using this against the Lieutenant." Sharon replied, shaking her head with a scolding look.

Andy sighed and just shrugged as they looked at the next pictures. They were mostly of John Worth, one of him with Kiki and then the other with the team and Rusty. The last one caught Sharon's eye and she asked Andy with a raised eyebrow, "What were you talking to John about?"

"Oh nothing, I was just thanking him for coming to the party… telling him it was a great thing for the kid and…" Andy mumbled.

"You were saying that while handing him your card?" she asked, meeting his gaze suspiciously.

Andy rolled his eyes and then clicked on the key to change the picture, hoping Sharon wouldn't insist on the subject. She shook her head at him, grinning and took another spoon of gelato before looking up at the screen. She smiled when she noticed it was a picture of her with Rusty. She could remember the exact moment it was taken. She had just asked Rusty if he was having fun and he had admitted to her that she was right and that the party was definitely a good idea. Sharon was smiling and so was Rusty.

"The kid looks happy." Andy stated.

"Yes, he was and he actually did admit that I was right about the need to throw a party." She told him proudly.

"I bet that made your day." Andy teased her.

"I know that I'm always right, but it feels good to hear people admitting it." She smirked before getting serious again as she added, "His happiness made my day. I know he was struggling in high school, in making friends, so I'm glad you all joined me to celebrate him."

"We're a family, aren't we?" Andy simply told her with a smile.

"Oh yes, we are and I'm so thankful for that." She answered, patting his shoulder before turning back to the screen and moving on to the next picture.

A picture of a smiling Sharon appeared on the screen. She wasn't looking at the camera and her eyes were shinning with joy. Andy looked at the picture with a smile before turning to meet Sharon's gaze.

"You're glowing…" he softly whispered to her.

She was beautiful; she was more beautiful now than when he had first met her 4 years ago. There was something different about her, something that made her beauty even more powerful and breathtaking. She looked down, a small smile crossing her face before she met his eyes and told him, "I'm happy, Andy."

Her confession was spontaneous. She wasn't afraid of saying it, she was truly happy and satisfied with the direction her life had taken lately. She didn't ask for any of it, but she couldn't now imagine her life differently. She couldn't imagine herself not leading the Major Crimes Division, or not welcoming Rusty into her life. This was how it was all meant to be.

"I can see that…" Andy stated. Her smile was so infectious and he couldn't help but let one cross his face too. "And uhm…" he whispered, rubbing the back of his neck, looking for the right words, "you deserve it, Sharon. I'm happy for you." He confessed, slightly blushing as he looked away.

Sharon put her hand to her heart, evidently touched by his words and when Andy met her eyes again, she smiled at him and put her hand on his before whispering softly, "Thank you so much, Andy."

He nodded shyly and she turned his attention to the laptop. They saw a few pictures of the whole group when Sharon stopped at one in particular.

"Oh and this one, Andy!" she exclaimed as she pointed out at a picture of the two of them and smiled, "I like it."

They were standing next to each other, Andy with a hand on her shoulder as Sharon slightly leaned against him. They were both smiling, staring at the camera.

"We look great together…" Andy stopped and frowned, slightly blushing as he stuttered, "Uhm I mean, together in the picture… together as us two posing for a picture, not…"

Sharon laughed at Andy's embarrassed face and his frown increased. He didn't expect her to react this way and he watched her bewildered. She patted his shoulder as she covered her mouth with her hand.

"Don't worry, I get it…" she reassured him, "and I do think too that we look great in that one." She added with a smile. "Would you like a copy of it?"

"I'd love one." He replied shyly.

Andy was starting to feel uncomfortable again and he quickly moved to the next picture. He couldn't have known that the following photo would have been even more embarrassing for him. It was another picture of Sharon smiling and looking at a point where Rusty and the others had to be standing. Andy spotted himself, standing in the corner watching Sharon with a look of pure awe, and a goofy smile on his face.

 _Oh God, please no…_ he thought.

He took a glance at Sharon who was silently watching the screen, but he couldn't read any reaction on her face. He slowly swallowed and looked down, trying to find some excuses that would explain why he was staring at her like a fool. She didn't say a word and he wondered if she had noticed him in the corner.

 _Of course she did, you idiot, she isn't blind,_ he told to himself.

Andy didn't have to wonder more about the picture because Sharon looked away from the laptop screen and turned her attention to him. Her insisting gaze made him feel uncomfortable and he had a hard time looking at her in the eyes. He still couldn't read any reaction on her face and he was starting to worry that the picture may have upset her.

He looked down and nervously wiped his suddenly sweaty hands on his jeans when Sharon finally said with a smile, "Amy is really good at taking pictures."

He stopped and met her gaze again with a questioning look. _Was she changing the subject, or was it her way of telling him that she liked the picture?_

Andy scrutinized her, but he couldn't tell which one of his suppositions was correct, so he simply snorted before replying, "Yeah, for sure. Sykes has a hidden skill for photography." And then he silently told himself that he would get back at the younger detective for busting him that way.

"Yes, she surely knows how to highlight a situation." Sharon added with a grin.

 _Busted._ If he had any doubt before, now he didn't anymore. Sharon had noticed him, and the unmistakable expression on his face and now she was teasing him about it. He had two choices: confess or deny. He ran his hand through his hair while he was thinking about the best things to say, but couldn't come up with anything good. He cursed himself for that. It wasn't like him to run out of words, but somehow the woman in front of him had managed once again to leave him speechless. He looked at Sharon who was staring at him with a soft smile and swallowed before saying, "Sharon, I…"

"I'll print the pictures for you." She suddenly replied, getting up from the chair and taking the laptop with her. He was a little taken aback by her unexpected reaction and sat motionless, watching her as she quickly walked to her desk in the living room.

Andy watched her silently from the table while she worked on her laptop, her back turned to him. The only sound he could hear was the printer quickly taking in and shooting out the photo paper. He could see her checking the quality of every picture before delicately waving them through the air to help them dry. She then put each picture on the desk as she focused on the next one. Andy didn't take his eyes off of her during the whole process, his mind worrying about the sudden change in her behavior and her walking away from him when the situation was getting too personal. He just hoped he hadn't screwed everything up, and that she wasn't upset.

Andy had been so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice her joining him again. He jumped slightly when he heard her set the laptop back on the table. He then watched her sit back in her chair smiling shyly before handing him an envelope, "I've printed the pictures for you… I've also added some of the pictures with the whole team, I thought you'd like those ones too."

"Thank you." He simply answered, putting his hand on hers when he reached out for the envelope.

Sharon didn't let go of the envelope and when they met each other's gaze she hesitantly added, "Uhm… anytime, I just wanted you to have some great memories of that day."

"I always make the best memories when I'm with you." Andy instantly answered back without thinking any further. He realized what he had said after the words had already come out of his mouth. He sat frozen, watching as his words sank into her brain and prepared himself to be kicked out of the condo.

Unexpectedly, Andy saw her features slowly softening in a warm smile, a smile that could easily light up a rainy day. A genuine smile, the kind that not everyone was allowed to see and he, Andrew Flynn, had been blessed with one. She looked flattered, her eyes slightly glistening. The beauty of her face would stay with him for a long time.

They stayed frozen in that moment for a while, neither of them daring to speak. Their hands were still holding the envelope, not wanting to break the physical contact they were sharing while they stared intensely at each other. Andy slowly leaned in, testing the waters and waiting for a sign from Sharon that would allow him to do more. Sharon smiled and brushed the fingers that were holding the envelope along his as she neared him too. They were now inches apart from each other, their lips almost touching when they heard the front door opening and Rusty exclaiming, "Sharon, I'm home!"

Sharon jumped out of her seat, breaking the closeness between them. Andy looked away and cleared his throat, focusing on the laptop screen while Sharon ran her hand through her hair and straightened her blouse nervously. Rusty appeared in the living room with a smile and stopped in his tracks when he noticed Andy, "Oh sorry, I didn't know the Lieutenant was here too."

Andy waved at the kid, but didn't say a single word, his mind still focused on what had nearly happened a few minutes ago.

"Oh, don't worry Rusty." Sharon quickly answered, trying not to look too flustered. "Andy and I…" she paused, gesturing toward him, "were only going through the pictures from last night."

"Oh cool! You already received the pics?" Rusty asked cheerfully.

"Yes, we can look through them together if you want." She offered with a soft smile, making a mental note to herself to avoid some of the pictures with her and Andy, so Rusty wouldn't potentially make inappropriate comments about the two of them. She was sure he would notice something between them, and it was best to avoid anything too uncomfortable.

"I'd like that, Sharon." Rusty answered with a smile. "Let me just drop my things in my room."

Sharon nodded and watched him disappear down the hallway before returning her attention to Andy. He had gotten up from his seat, one hand in the pocket of his jeans while the other was holding the envelope. He then rubbed the back of his neck and smiled shyly at her before saying, "Uhm… I should go."

"Oh Andy, I…" she fumbled, unable to find the right words.

"It's okay." He reassured her with a smile. "It's late already and I have a few things to do at home anyway…" he explained.

Andy was about to walk away when she stopped him, putting a hand on his upper arm. She looked at him, not really knowing what to say when he offered, "Sharon, it's okay." He covered her hand on his upper arm with his before adding with a soft smile, "Show Rusty the photos, I'm sure he will love them."

Sharon smiled back and let him go, silently walking him to the front door. They stood a few seconds staring and smiling goofily at each other until Andy lifted the envelope and whispered, "Thank you for the pictures. I'll find a special spot for them."

His words drew another genuine smile to her face when he added, "See you tomorrow at work?"

She paused, not knowing how to proceed after what had nearly happened between them. A peck on the cheek or a hug seemed too much right now, but it felt wrong letting him go like this. She hesitantly reached out for him, brushing her hand along his arm before quickly putting her hand away and whispering, "Sure, see you tomorrow Andy."

Sharon opened the door and he stepped out. Andy offered her one last smile before walking away. She closed the door and leaned against it, letting out a sigh and closing her eyes while she sighed to herself, " _What did you do, Sharon?"_

"Okay, I'm here!" Rusty exclaimed, stepping out of his room.

Sharon opened her eyes and moved away from the door, putting a smile on her face. Rusty joined her and looked around before asking, "Where's the Lieutenant?"

"He had to go home." She quickly explained. She then gestured toward the table where her laptop was still sitting and said with a smile, "Shall we?"

* * *

Andy opened his front door and went inside. He closed it behind him and walked to the living room, letting himself fall on the couch after dropping the envelope on the small table. He sighed while he covered his face with his hands, replaying what had nearly happened between them. There they were again, overstepping the boundaries they had set between them two years ago.

 _Maybe this is how it's meant to be,_ he thought.

Andy shook his head at his own thought and his eyes then fell to the envelope on the small table. He leaned over and took it in his hands, staring at it for a few seconds before opening it. He pulled out the pictures Sharon had printed for him and started looking through them. She had added the one with the team, as she had told him, along with a few pictures of him with Rusty, with John Worth, and the ones with Sharon. A particular picture caught his eyes, the picture that broke the fragile balance between the two of them and he smiled. He had been caught once again while staring at Sharon with a look that said way too much. He rolled his eyes at his own stupidity and was about to put the pictures back in the envelope when he noticed that something was written on the back of the compromising photo. He frowned and turned it to take a better look. He instantly recognized Sharon's neat and delicate handwriting and he smirked when he read,

 _"Lieutenant, you'll go blind if you keep staring at me like this."_

Andy looked at the front of the picture again and then at the other photograph of the two of them together and he whispered with a smile, "I'm willing to take the risk, Captain."

* * *

 **And that's it for chapter 3! Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this third chapter!**

 **Don't hesitate to tell me what you felt about it, I'd appreciate it very much!**

 **Chapter 4 coming soon!**


	4. 30TH OF JULY 2015

**So, here is the fourth chapter of my fic! I'd like first to thank all of you** **who read, reviewed, favorited or followed this story! I love to hear from you, what you thought about the chapters. Your reviews make my day every time. So, thank you!**

 **Special thanks to my amazing Beta, eelise187, for proofreading this chapter so quickly!**

 **Once again, I don't own the show or its characters.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FOUR: 30TH OF JULY 2015**

Andy was sitting at his desk, staring at the closed blinds of Sharon's office. He looked at his watch; five minutes had passed since Sharon had shown Gustavo Wallace into her office for the notification. Alice the young girl killed by Slider. The girl whose smile Andy couldn't erase from his mind. The girl that had haunted him for nearly a year finally had a name: Mariana Wallace.

Andy sighed as he focused his attention back to the closed blinds. He wished he could have made the notification, or at least that he could have been by Sharon's side during the whole procedure. He was kind of disappointed by the fact that after all he had done for Alice-Mariana, he hadn't been involved in the final round, the notification. He knew that Rusty had preferred taking Gus to Sharon, as she was his mother and it was easier for him to ask for her help instead of Andy's. Yet, he also knew that Sharon had been a little taken aback and slightly bothered when Rusty had unexpectedly shown up with Gus. Knowing her, she would have preferred to have been informed first, so she could prepare for the delicate announcement.

The door opened abruptly and he saw Sharon placing a sympathetic hand on Gus's shoulder and whispering to him, "I'm so sorry for your loss, Gus." She then handed him her card as she added, "Please, feel free to contact me if you need anything. I'll call you once we've made the arrangements for the identification procedure I explained to you earlier."

"Okay, thank you." He sniffed, wiping away the remaining tears with the back of his hand. "I-I just need some time and… and I don't think I can do this right now."

"I understand." Sharon replied. "It will take about two days for the arrangements." She reminded him. "I'll call you as soon as it is all set."

Gus nodded and without saying anything else, walked away from Sharon's office. He quickly crossed the Murder Room, ignoring the looks from Rusty and the team, and disappeared down the hallway. The squad had stayed silent during the man's exit, but their attention soon fell on Rusty who was standing motionless next to Buzz. The young man seemed lost, not knowing how to react. He didn't know if he should stay in the Murder Room and wait for his mother, or go after Gus to make sure he was okay. Rusty felt someone patting his shoulder and when he looked up, he saw Tao smiling at him and saw that the rest of the team was slowly joining him, surrounding him.

Andy glanced back at Sharon's office and noticed the door was still half-open, but she was nowhere to be seen. The urge to check on Sharon was too strong. He took advantage of the fact that the others were focused on Rusty to discretely slip into Sharon's office, closing the door behind him.

Sharon was sitting at her desk with her back to the door. It could seem as though she was simply looking out the window, but he knew better. He knew she was trying to recompose herself. He slowly neared her desk and whispered, "Sharon…"

Andy saw her tense the moment she understood someone was in her office, but she immediately relaxed when she recognized Andy's voice. Seeing her shoulders drop he quickly walked around the other side of the desk to face her. She didn't move and was still sitting in her chair, her eyes focused at some invisible point out of the window. Andy noticed that her eyes were glistening; he could also see the path the tears had left on her face, even though she had tried to wipe them away. He wanted nothing more than to hug her and to chase her pain away. He slowly crouched down to meet her gaze, ignoring the slight pain in his knees while doing so. He put his hand on her knee before whispering, "Hey Sharon…"

Sharon finally met his gaze and he smiled wistfully at her before asking, "How are you holding up?"

"I'm okay." She instantly answered, forcing her voice to sound firm.

Andy raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical. He knew she was just trying to look strong, as she always did in the workplace, but he knew her better. Her eyes, as well as her hands fidgeting with the fabric of her blazer, and the tensed corners of her mouth told a different story. He could tell she was having a hard time in keeping it together. He gently stroked her knee before delicately taking her hand in his and whispering, "Hey, Sharon you know you don't have to pretend with me, right? It's okay…"

Sharon didn't say anything at first, but then she squeezed his hand. When he looked up to meet her eyes again, she admitted in a barely audible voice, "It was so hard…"

Andy silently nodded, stroking her knuckles as an encouragement to keep talking. She seemed to relax under his touch and they stayed in silence for a while until Sharon swallowed and added, "He was so hopeful. I don't know what he was thinking. Maybe he thought we had found her and that she had been placed in a foster family… at this point, he would have even preferred we had arrested her. The first thing he asked was where he could find her… I couldn't tell him that she was downstairs." She had purposely avoided using the word "morgue." She looked down at Andy's fingers slowly stroking her knuckles and sighed before whispering, "I explained to him that unfortunately she had been killed and that we had a hard time in finding out who she really was. I can still see his face when the words sank in, how he paled while he was fumbling, trying to tell me that it was probably a mistake. When I showed him Ali-…" She stopped, correcting herself, "Mariana's picture, he just broke down…"

Sharon leaned back against her chair and closed her eyes, trying to stop some new tears that were starting to gather in her eyes, threatening to fall down her cheeks again. She wouldn't break down: she couldn't break down. She took deep breaths, progressively regaining her composure when Andy whispered, "I wish I had been there with you…"

Sharon opened her eyes and abruptly stood up from her chair, causing Andy to nearly lose his balance in the process. He slowly stood, ignoring the pain in his knees, and watched her walk away from him as she replied, "And I wish Rusty would have informed me first. I didn't need a full report, a stupid short text would have been enough."

Andy read annoyance and frustration in her voice and he neared her cautiously. She had her back to him once again, so he delicately put his hands on her shoulders before whispering, "I know, Sharon… I wish he would have done that too."

Sharon sighed and rubbed her forehead before murmuring, "I'm sorry. It's not Rusty's fault, he did the right thing. We wouldn't have found Gus without his hard work… I just-I just wish I had handled this notification better."

"I'm sure you did great." Andy told her, reassuringly.

Sharon turned to face him and smiled sadly before reaching for his cheek and stroking it briefly. She then put her hand down and looked around her office before meeting his eyes again and saying, "You can't possibly know that."

"I know you, Sharon… and as difficult as it was, I know you did your best, and offered the kid some comfort."

Sharon crossed her arms over her chest as a way to keep herself together while she distractedly shook her head. She didn't 'do great'. She was experiencing mixed feelings about the situation. She was clearly surprised by the fact that Rusty had finally found Mariana's brother. But at that moment she was still so relieved and happy that informing the Chief about she and Andy's change of relationship status had gone so well. Only to be brought back to the harsh and painful reality of an unexpected notification. She clearly had not had the time to think about how to act, what to say. She felt Andy delicately brush her arm and she looked at him. He smiled sadly at her and opened his arms and whispered, "Come here…"

Sharon didn't move at first. She then felt him carefully take her by the arm and gently pull her close. She resisted at first before reluctantly letting him wrap his arms around her. She hugged him back and closed her eyes as she laid her head on his chest, closing her eyes to focus on the soothing sound of his heart. He laid his chin on her head slowly whispering, "I'm taking you home…"

Andy felt her move and he looked down to see her mesmerizing green eyes staring back at him. She shook her head and said, "Let's first join the team and inform them of our change of status…"

Andy looked at her skeptically and replied, "You're sure you want to do this now? It can wait until tomorrow… It has been a hard day."

Sharon slowly let go of him and straightened her blazer before answering, "That's why I want to do this now. We need to end this day on a positive." She added with a soft smile. She ran a hand through her hair before taking a few steps toward the door and saying, "I want to do this now, everyone is still here. I will first explain the Mariana situation and then…"

"We drop the bomb…" Andy interrupted her with a goofy smile.

Sharon stopped in her tracks and turned around. "The bomb?" She repeated, raising an eyebrow at his choice of words.

"Yeah, they totally won't expect this." Andy said rubbing his hands with a satisfied face. "I can't wait to see their faces." He added smirking before putting a hand on her arm, "Let me go out first."

Sharon rolled her eyes and patted his shoulder lightly before letting him step out of her office. Andy returned to his desk, ignoring the suspicious looks his colleagues were throwing him. After a few minutes, Sharon walked out of her office and looked at her team. Seeing her, Julio asked with concern, "Ma'am, how did it go?"

Sharon cleared her throat and answered, "Well as you can all imagine, it wasn't easy." She spotted Rusty, standing near Buzz and exchanged a look with him before adding, "It wasn't the news Gustavo Wallace was expecting."

"I bet…" Julio sighed.

"I'll talk to Doctor Morales to arrange the body for identification…" Sharon informed them. "Gustavo already confirmed Mariana's identity when I showed him the picture, so it is purely a formality." She pauses and smiled sadly, "Our Alice finally has a name. Mariana Wallace."

"Yeah Captain, your son here did a good job." Provenza said, leaning in his chair to look at Rusty and wink at him.

"He sure did." Sharon answered, offering a sweet smile to Rusty. She was proud of him, of his dedication, and his hard work. She made a mental note to tell him this as soon as she had a minute alone with him.

"That being said, it has been a hell of a day and I think it is about damn time for me to go home." Provenza exclaimed standing up from his chair. He started picking up his things and as he put his phone in the pocket of his jacket Sharon glanced nervously at Andy. She was about to say something when Andy stood from his chair and walked over to stand next to her. He cleared his throat, "Uhm, guys…"

He felt the looks of the whole team focus on him again, making him feel somewhat uneasy. He wondered where the confidence he had shown in Sharon's office had gone. He felt unexpectedly shy and wished he could think of a joke to use to break the news to the team, as he used to do during cases. "Can we have your attention for just one more thing?" Andy finally asked hesitantly.

"Geez, Flynn." Provenza complained, throwing his hands in the air. "Go ahead, but be quick." He added resting his elbows on his chair and looking at him expectantly. "You may not have anything interesting to do tonight, but I do."

"Like what? Crosswords while sitting in your old and dusty recliner?" Andy shot back nervously. He didn't need the teasing of his partner right now.

"What about kicking the ass of a stupid and bragging idiot who…" Provenza answered, faking disgust. He had sensed what it was all about. He wasn't blind, nor was he stupid. His work experience had taught him to pay attention to even the smallest details. Not that Andy Flynn had been very discreet in hiding his feelings for the Captain, or in hiding the details concerning the "big announcement" he was about to make.

"Enough, enough you two!" Sharon interposed, waving her hand in the air in an attempt to stop the two Lieutenants' bickering, barely hiding a smile. _Those two were incorrigible._

Tao then chose this moment to bring the attention back to Andy's earlier words, "We?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sharon exchanged glances with Andy who nervously rubbed his neck. He didn't seem to know how to introduce the subject, so before he could faint from high pressure, she took over and said, "Chief Taylor dropped by my office earlier for an interesting talk. I actually asked him to come by, because there will be a little change…"

Sharon saw Amy's eyes widen and Buzz cover his mouth, looking slightly shocked. She realized that her words could be easily misunderstood and she smiled before adding, "Oh no, not that kind of change. I'm not going anywhere." She reassured the team.

She heard a collective sigh of relief and her smile increased when she felt Andy move even closer to her. "Sometimes, working long hours… spending so much time in your workplace can lead to unexpected things. Things you would have never thought would happen. Things you had not been looking for, but that just happen and… it is a risk, but I can assure you all this won't affect the balance of the team and…"

Sharon was rambling; she knew it. She could see the confused faces of the members of her squad and she sighed stopping to reorganize her words. This was going to be a lot more difficult than what she had thought. She turned to Andy for help and he smiled softly at her before stepping in, "What Sharon is trying to say is that… Sharon and I are together. Together as in a romantic relationship, together as a couple and…"

"Yeah Flynn, we all know the meaning of the word _together_. Thank you." Provenza snorted, rolling his eyes at him.

Sharon and Andy looked expectantly at the team, who silently stared back at them. The couple was starting to feel uneasy at the lack of response. They shared a nervous look when they heard Julio exclaim, rubbing his hands together with a smile, "Bring the cash, Buzz!"

Buzz sighed and rolled his eyes before putting a hand in the pocket of his pants to grab his wallet. He took out a twenty-dollar bill and handed it to Tao who then handed it to Julio. Rusty watched them, barely holding back a laugh. However, when he looked at his mother and Andy's shocked faces, he couldn't keep it together, the moment was just priceless and he started laughing.

Sharon looked bewilderedly at Andy who frowned before exclaiming, "There was a bet on us?!"

Julio didn't say anything and kept snorting while he collected Tao's ten dollars and Amy's fifteen dollars. This was definitely a good day for him and he couldn't help the satisfied smile on his face.

"Oh no, it wasn't really a bet on you two being a couple." Amy explained, shaking her head. "We all already knew you two were together."

Sharon threw a deadly glare at Rusty who immediately stopped smiling. His face whitened when he realized what his mother was thinking. He immediately put his hands in the air as if he had been caught, before exclaiming, "I had nothing to do with this, I swear!"

Sharon kept looking at her son skeptically, her arms crossed over her chest. Rusty could tell that she wasn't happy about this revelation, and he truly hoped she would believe him when he said he had nothing to do with it. He swallowed hard, feeling uneasy because of Sharon's intense glare. He was a dead man and it wasn't even his fault this time.

"We bet on when you would finally tell us." Tao clarified with a smile, bringing the attention back to their earlier conversation, and Rusty silently thanked him.

"Yeah, the bet on you two getting together was like two years ago." Julio finally spoke. He put the money in his wallet with a triumphant smile.

"TWO YEARS AGO?!" both Sharon and Andy exclaimed, clearly shocked. They couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"Yeah, lost twenty bucks back then…" Julio remembered with a hint of annoyance in his voice, "But this time I got it right!" He added grinning like a fool.

"But we weren't together back then." Sharon said, shaking her head with a frown.

"Well, Captain, you went with Flynn to his daughter's wedding and after that, you called each other by your first names…" Julio started explaining the events that had led the team to think of them as being a couple.

"Don't forget the looks and the smiles they shared." Amy sighed in awe as she remembered all the times she had caught them sharing meaningful glances and smiles.

"And that one time I… uhm… I saw them at that pizzeria down the street." Buzz added hesitantly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What were you doing there anyway?" Andy asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

"Well, we could ask you two the same thing." Provenza shot back, rolling his eyes.

"We had just wrapped up a case." Andy defended himself as he recalled that night very well. He had gone to Sharon's office to say goodnight before leaving. She was still filling out some paperwork and he had suggested she go home and get some rest. He had added that the paperwork could wait until the next morning, but she had politely rejected his suggestion, until her stomach grumbled. She had blushed lightly while putting her hands on her abdomen, and that was when he proposed the idea of the pizzeria down the street.

"Curious, we all worked on that case." Provenza said, scratching his chin, looking falsely pensive, "I remember I was home by then."

"Since when do you remember what you were doing on a casual night two years ago, old man?" Andy shot back, annoyance creeping through him.

"Since my partner is making up shitty excuses to explain why he was out with the Captain." Provenza answered harshly, shaking his head at the absurdity of the situation.

"I didn't make this up!" Andy exclaimed, raising his voice, throwing his hands in the air before letting them fall with a sigh of frustration.

Sharon put a hand on Andy's shoulder to calm him down, as she could sense he was starting to get even tenser and it was only a matter of time before he lost his temper. She added, sincerity in her voice, "By the way, we weren't truly together back then."

"Yeah, but you definitely acted like it." Tao pointed out.

"See Mom? That's what I've been telling you both." Rusty said grinning. "You two weren't together… _as far as you know_." He added, emphasizing the last part of the sentence, barely holding back a laugh.

"Rusty." Sharon warned him.

Rusty immediately stopped smiling and put his hands in the pockets of his pants, looking down at the floor uncomfortably. He knew that when his mother used that tone with him he should instantly stop whatever irritating thing he was doing, or he would be in serious trouble.

Drawing the attention away from Rusty, Andy cleared his throat and said, "Okay, so now you're all informed." He paused and looked at his colleagues before asking with an exasperated look on his face, "Can we stop with the bets now?"

"Uhm… I can think of at least two more interesting ones we could make." Julio teased him with a smirk.

"Being…?" Sharon asked, her hands on her hips, a hint of annoyance in her voice. She wasn't very pleased with the whole betting idea. She really hoped Julio was only teasing and that they would stop now.

"We'll tell you once you two get to that step." The detective simply replied with a shrug.

"Please stop, we're not horses at the track." Andy told them, exasperation in his voice, while his coworkers tried not to burst out laughing.

"Well, anyway, this is such beautiful news. We're happy for you." Amy finally stepped in with a smile, changing topic for Andy's sake.

"Speak for yourself, Sykes." Provenza barked. "These two are idiots. No offense, Captain, but this is all a terrible idea." He added looking at Sharon in the eyes.

Sharon couldn't hold back a smile and shook her head, rolling his eyes before saying, "Thank you, Lieutenant for your faith and undying optimism!"

"Yeah, per usual, the Lieutenant is acting all grumpy…" Tao said, patting Provenza's shoulder and earning a deadly glare from the older man in response, "But be sure, we're all happy for you both."

"Thank you Mike." Sharon answered sincerely.

"Argh…" Provenza sighed, covering his face with both hands. "Idiots." He muttered. "I was kind of expecting that from the dumbass I have as a partner, but you Captain…"

"It happens, Lieutenant." Sharon said with a warm smile. "Sometimes friendships can turn into something more."

Andy put an arm around Sharon and she lightly leaned against him with a satisfied smile on her face. She felt she had taken a weight off of her chest, and she knew Andy felt this way too. Everybody knew, the Chief, the team. She turned to Andy and smiled softly at him. He answered back with one of his charming smiles that made her heart melt when they heard Provenza whining, "Oh please, God take me now."

They all burst out laughing and Provenza added, pointing a finger at the couple, "Flynn, get your arm away from the Captain. Just don't do that in front of me, I don't need to witness to all this. Good Lord."

"I can't believe it really happened." Sharon said, putting two mugs on the small table before sitting down on the couch next to Andy. Andy wrapped an arm around her and she leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder as she added, "Thank you for staying tonight. It has been a hectic day and it's good to have you here…"

"I'm glad to be here." He simply answered.

Sharon smiled before asking, "Did you…?"

"Yeah, I put my badge on the console table in the hallway." He interrupted her, already knowing what she was about to ask. It was the code to inform Rusty that Andy was there too.

"It shouldn't be long before he comes back from the burger place with Buzz and Tao. I'm glad they offered to go out with him, it hasn't been an easy day for him either…"

"Right…" Andy simply muttered, stroking Sharon's arm delicately.

Andy stayed silent, holding Sharon close to him. He seemed lost in his thoughts. Sharon noticed and lightly sat up to look at his face as she whispered softly, "Hey, what's on your mind?"

Andy didn't answer at first. He just kept staring at some invisible point until Sharon took his chin and gently forced him to look at her, "Andy…"

"You've said it. It has been a helluva day…" he replied, avoiding her intense stare.

"There's something more." She stated. She knew it; she could feel it. He was strangely quiet and she wondered why. "You know you can tell me…" she offered him encouragingly.

Andy sighed and turned his head away from her to look in front of him before reluctantly admitting, "I wish I had been in there… I cared about this case a lot."

Sharon froze as she finally realized the meaning behind his words. She remembered how afflicted he had been a year ago when they had found Mariana's body and caught her killer. She remembered how hard it had been for him to not be able to discover who she really was, and to subsequently not be able to find her family. She remembered how he had arranged a memorial service for Mariana, and how touched she had been when she had found out about it. She remembered how pained he was during the service, and that she had been there to gently nudge his shoulder to remind him that he wasn't alone in this. She didn't know how she had not thought about this sooner. He needed closure just as much as Mariana and Gus needed it.

"I'm sorry, Andy…" she said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder and stroking it, "I should have realized…"

"Hey it's okay." He interrupted her, shaking his head. "We didn't expect it to happen, or not today, and not this way."

Andy looked down and swallowed hard. He had promised himself that he wouldn't let the case come back to haunt him. He sighed as he felt Sharon shift next to him. He knew she was coming closer and before he could reassure her that he was fine, she cupped his face before saying in a soothing voice, "I know I didn't tell you this back then… but I'm still very touched and very proud of what you did for Mariana… and I'll make sure Gus knows about it."

Andy smiled and put his hand on hers that was on his cheek. He took it and squeezed before leaning in to capture her lips in a tender kiss. He then pulled her close to him again and they resumed their earlier position. They sat together for a while enjoying the silent condo and each other's company, letting the emotional day slide away.

Andy unexpectedly felt Sharon laugh softly against him, causing him to look down at her with an arched eyebrow. Their eyes met and even if he had no clue as to what was so funny, he couldn't help but smile. Her laugh was infectious; her smile could chase all his pain away. At the end of the day, she was everything he needed.

"I was thinking of the bet the team had on us. I just can't believe they did this…" She paused and frowned before correcting herself, "I just can't believe everyone knew what was going to happen except us. I mean, it wasn't only Nicole and Rusty believing we were a couple… how could we be so obvious and so clueless at the same time?" she added, laughing softly.

"I have no idea… and we're supposed to be detectives." He paused to stroke her hair with a soft smile before adding jokingly, "Let's just say we suck at investigating our own feelings."

"Definitely." Sharon answered back with a grin.

"You know what else is funny?" Andy felt Sharon shake her head against his shoulder as he continued, "Do you know what day it is today?"

"Uhm, Thursday… The 30thof July… oh!" she exclaimed, a smile creeping on her face when she realized what day it was.

"Isn't it funny that some of the most important moments of our lives keep happening on, or near, this date?" Andy asked, then to make his point more relevant, he added, "Nicole's wedding… Rusty's graduation... Notifying Taylor."

"Yeah it is. I guess it is more proof that it was meant to be…" she simply answered as she thought about Andy's words.

Sharon hadn't noticed this detail before and she was still lost in her thoughts when Andy proposed with a soft smile, "We should establish a special day for this date, like some kind of anniversary…"

"Of our one-night stand?" Sharon exclaimed, furrowing her eyebrow as she looked at Andy.

"Of when it all began, silly." He answered back with a soft laugh, pinching her nose.

His smile grew wider when he watched her reaction: the small pout that had appeared on her face at being called "silly" and the smirk that replaced it as she said, "Okay then, and how are we going to celebrate since the day is almost over?"

"I have a few ideas…" he answered, running a hand up and down her arm. "When is the kid coming back?" he then asked, looking around the empty condo.

"I don't know, soon I believe…" Sharon paused to look at him in the eyes and instantly understood what he was thinking. She smiled and added teasingly, "But if you keep quiet, it doesn't matter."

"Oh me?" he exclaimed, faking offense. "I wasn't the one screaming God's name in vain the last time."

"ANDY!" Sharon exclaimed, blushing lightly and covering her mouth with both hands.

"Yeah, you've yelled that name too, quite often." He added with a smirk.

"You. Are. An. Idiot." She answered back, punctuating every word with a pat to his shoulder.

"I'm your idiot." He replied with a grin as he slowly leaned in and captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

Sharon deepened the kiss, running a hand through his hair as she felt Andy's hands run up and down her back. She broke the kiss, their lips still touching as she muttered against his, barely holding back a smile, "Yes, you definitely are."

Sharon felt Andy smile against her lips and she kissed him one more time. She then took a hold of his purple squared tie, "Easy, woman! I love this tie, it's one of my favorites!"

"It is one of mine too, but I will like it better once I take it off." She answered with a malicious smile before leaning in and whispering in his ear, "Come on, Lieutenant. Let's go make our special day unforgettable."

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this fourth chapter!**

 **Don't hesitate to tell me what you felt about it, I'd appreciate it very much!**

 **Stay tuned for Chapter 5!**


	5. 30TH OF JULY 2016

**Again, thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following this story! Your reviews always bring a smile to my face, so thank you so much.**

 **Now here's for you Chapter 5! I hope you will like it!**

 **Big shout-out to my amazing Beta, eelise187, for helping me with this chapter and for suggesting me some wonderful lines!**

 **Once again, I don't own the show or its characters.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIVE: 30THOF JULY 2016**

Andy walked down the hallway toward the Major Crimes Murder Room, holding Sharon close. She was leaning on him, her head resting on his shoulder, as she softly giggled. They had just waved goodbye to Rusty who was going to spend the night at Gus's, so they both knew they would have the condo to themselves. The thought of being finally able to enjoy a night together without Rusty interfering was something they were both looking forward to. As much as they loved the kid, they felt the need to spend some time together without having to worry about what Rusty could hear or see.

"So what do you say if we go home now and change into something nice?" Andy proposed as they were still walking. "I'm taking you out tonight." He added with a charming smile.

Sharon lifted her head from his shoulder and met his gaze. Her face lit up and her voice filled with excitement as she exclaimed, "You are?"

Andy stopped in his tracks and put his hands on her waist as they faced each other. He smiled softly at her before answering, "I am." His voice then became huskier as he asked her with a grin, "Watcha think, Captain?"

Sharon rolled her eyes at him and smirked, "I love it, Lieutenant."

Andy let go of her and gestured for her to lead the way as he said, "So, let's grab your things and go home then."

Sharon smiled and started walking, quickly followed by Andy. They reached the Murder Room where they found the team, sitting around and chatting. Sharon was relieved to see them all there, safe and sound, after the intensity of the day. The case they had just closed had been draining, both physically and emotionally. They had put themselves at risk, and things could have gone wrong when gunfire was exchanged with the suspect. Provenza had been shot, but luckily his bulletproof vest had stopped the bullet. Technically speaking, he hadn't been exactly shot, but had been hit by shrapnel. Although, the Lieutenant would never admit that detail, instead he kept proudly showing the hole in his vest to anyone he could. He was doing fine, just a little sore and he would probably be bruised in the morning.

Sharon had a feeling he would take this occasion to complain even more than he usually did. She didn't have to wait long to confirm her thought because as Provenza tried to stretch, he stopped when pain shot through his chest. "Holy crap." He muttered as his hand reached his chest. "Could this day get any worse?" he whined as he closed his eyes.

Sharon smirked while Andy rolled his eyes at the older Lieutenant as they walked to Sharon's office. She opened the door before entering, followed by Andy who closed it behind him. He stood motionless, resting his hands on the seatback of one of the chairs while Sharon walked around to her desk. Suddenly, they heard Patrice's voice ringing through the Murder Room, "YOU GOT SHOT?!" Even though the door was closed those three words were loud and distinct.

Sharon looked up from the paperwork she was organizing on her desk and met Andy's gaze. She bit her lower lip as Andy winced before saying, "Ouch."

Andy didn't add anything more and he quickly walked to the blinds. He moved some to the side, enough for him to glance into the Murder Room. Patrice was standing in front of her husband, arms crossed, an annoyed look on her face, "Looks like the old man is going to be in big trouble. Patrice looks kinda upset…"

"She must have been worried sick." Sharon stated seriously. "Can you blame her?" She then asked as she adjusted her glasses on her nose and put all the paperwork in a folder.

"I guess not." Andy answered, turning to look at Sharon. They exchanged a brief look before his attention went back to the scene in the Murder Room. "You should see the team, pretending to be busy doing things and not paying attention to Provenza and Patrice." He laughed as he added, "Amy is pretending to look at some folder on my desk, but there's nothing there."

Sharon laughed softly as she answered, "Gosh, it reminds me of when I pretended to be reading a file, so Rusty didn't know I was spying on him…" She paused as she noticed she had Andy's attention. He was looking at her with a smirk when she concluded, "When the truth was that I was staring at a blank folder, and had definitely been listening in."

"You did not do that!" Andy exclaimed with a wide smile, barely holding back a laugh. She was so full of surprises and he loved it.

"What? Spying on Rusty or reading a blank folder?" she asked with a grin. "I did both and I felt like an idiot back then." She confessed, shaking her head and looking down.

Andy stared lovingly at her and shook his head as he whispered, "You could never be an idiot, even if you tried."

Sharon rolled her eyes at Andy and his sappiness and smiled before she joined him. She put a hand on his shoulder as she asked him, arching an eyebrow, "Are you done with spying on the Lieutenant?"

"Not quite." He answered without turning back, his eyes glued to the scene in front of him. "Argh, I wish I could hear what they are saying, but the faces of the team are just priceless. Look at Sanchez, he's getting a red face from how hard he is trying to hold back his laughter."

Sharon laughed softly against his shoulder before standing on her toes to glance over Andy's shoulder, "Well, it looks to me like things are good again between the Lieutenant and Patrice." She stated with a smile.

The couple was hugging and Andy exclaimed grinning, "I never thought I would live to see Provenza getting all emotional and displaying acts of affection in the middle of the Murder Room." He paused and gestured toward the team, "And above all, in front of people!"

Sharon smiled softly before patting his shoulder and whispering, "He has changed. He has softened with time…" Andy turned his head to look at her and she added, meeting his gaze with a soft smile, "And he is not the only one."

Andy looked down, shyly before turning his attention to the Murder Room once again. Provenza and Patrice were waving goodbye to the team and walking away holding hands. Andy's voice was barely audible when he whispered, hesitantly, "I met a special someone who changed my life."

Andy wasn't really good at expressing his feelings. There was always something stopping him, there was always a lump forming in his throat preventing him from saying anything too personal. He would stand motionless, staring at Sharon with a look that said way more than his words, while all the words he would want to say to her died in his throat. He would make a fool of himself as always and would end up having to make a joke or to tease her in order to ease the tension. This was one of the main reasons why he hadn't yet had the guts to say to her those three words that would make her understand how important she was to him. He had been struggling with this confession for a year. The first time he had tried to say the words he was in a hospital bed, wondering if he would wake up from surgery. Even the fear of dying without her knowing hadn't been strong enough to kick his butt and force him to confess his love.

"Oh you did?" Sharon teased him, sensing his uneasiness. She knew it was difficult for him to speak about his feelings; it was difficult for her too, so she tried her best to ease the tension.

Andy finally let go of the blinds and turned around to put his hands on Sharon's waist. He pulled her closer as she smiled and put her arms around his neck. They stayed in silence for a while, staring at each other while she gently stroked the back of his neck. He smiled at her and she slowly leaned in to kiss him. He deepened the kiss and when they broke it to catch their breaths, they rested forehead against forehead, enjoying the silent office and letting the stress of the day fade away.

Andy whispered to Sharon with a smile, "Shall we? We have a special night waiting for us."

Sharon could feel Andy's excitement and nervousness as he put his hand on her back to lead her to the restaurant's entrance. He had been this way since they left the Major Crimes Division and arrived at home. He had urged her to get ready as quickly as possible because they had a long drive ahead to reach the place. She had arched an eyebrow and asked for details, but he simply shrugged and smiled at her, claiming that it was a surprise and that she would find out soon. She had never been a fan of surprises, but something in the look he gave her, and his smile made her shiver with excitement. She only knew they were going to a fancy place judging by the dress code he suggested, and she did her best to impress him.

She had put on one of her favorite dresses, a Michael Kors midnight blue floral lace dress with flutter sleeves. She had then opted for creamy pumps and scarf. She wouldn't forget the look on Andy's face when he saw her stepping out of the bedroom. His jaw had dropped to the floor and he was looking at her in awe. She couldn't remember having someone looking at her this way and she felt her heart melt at the thought. She instantly understood that she had made the right choice with the dress and she had softly laughed at Andy's goofy expression. He looked handsome too. He was sitting on the couch, in a dark blue suit and suspenders with a light purple shirt and a dark purple stripped tie. She had smiled when she had noticed the tie. It was the Armani one she had given him on Christmas. The one he loved wearing on special occasions.

The drive to the restaurant made her suspicious as she noticed he had taken the 101 after Franklin Avenue, so they were definitely going out of town. He had smiled at her, explaining this was the best route to avoid traffic. She had raised an eyebrow, asking him once again where they were going. He had offered her another smile as he teased her, repeating that it was a surprise. She had crossed her arms over her chest, a pout appeared on her face as she faked annoyance. He had laughed softly as he then admitted that he had booked the restaurant weeks ago since it was very difficult to find a table. She had looked out the window as they passed by Calabasas and Agoura Hills. As Andy had kept driving on the 101, she guessed that they were probably headed to Malibu, and she had been right.

Now they were at the oceanfront restaurant and a waiter was walking them to their table. Andy had taken Sharon by the hand as they passed by some tables and went through to the patio where the waiter showed them to their table. Sharon looked around in awe. The restaurant terrace was on top of a cliff with a breathtaking view of the ocean. String lights lit the patio and fire pits were here and there, giving an intimate and romantic atmosphere to the terrace. The terrace then opened to a part called "the garden" where a big old tree was also decorated with string lights and surrounded by succulents.

The barely audible sound of music reached her ears as she turned her attention back to Andy and told him with a wide smile, "Andy, thank you, this place is breathtaking."

"Not as much as you." He simply answered, covering her hand with his.

Sharon offered him another smile as she slightly blushed. Every time he managed to make her feel like she was the most beautiful woman in the world, when she usually only focused on her flaws. She knew he had dated a lot of women, a lot of younger women. While she always felt attractive, she knew she was no longer twenty-five anymore. She had always felt confident about her look but with each passing year, she found herself pointing out new flaws and thinking she was losing some of her attractiveness. She soon understood that Andy didn't see any of that. To him, she was perfect, attractive, beautiful, and desirable. Where she saw wrinkles, he saw expressivity. The little bump of her belly was where he put his hands when he encircled her. While he was getting older as well, creaking joints and greying hair, there was just something about him that grew more rugged with each passing year. Still, her aging and aching body was the one he looked at in awe every time he had the chance. He had kissed away all her flaws and made them perfect in his own way. He had kissed away her insecurities and given her back the little confidence she had lost, and she couldn't find the words to explain how much she loved him for that.

 _Love._ Sharon wished she were able to tell him how she felt. She had kept quiet, hoping he would make this important step first as they had both been skirting around for months, neither of them able to finally say those three words. Three simple words whose implications scared both of them.

"Always a gentleman…" she whispered to him, meeting his gaze and squeezing his hand.

Andy smiled at her and shook his head before answering, "I'm only speaking the truth."

They stared at each other with goofy smiles on their faces and holding hands until the waiter came back, asking if they had decided what to eat. They both exchanged an embarrassed look when they realized they hadn't even glanced at the menu. Sharon giggled softly as she quickly scanned it. She didn't even read it all as she said the name of the first dish that seemed appealing to her. In front of her, Andy seemed to have done the same and he smiled back at her while the waiter took the menu back and walked away.

"Well that was awkward." Andy said with a smirk. "Don't ask me what I've picked, I have no idea. I just said the first thing my eyes saw."

The dinner went on smoothly. Despite the fact they had each impulsively chosen the first dish they had read, they had been very satisfied. Andy had offered her some of his pomegranate pumpkin risotto and she did the same with her octopus and potato salad. They ended up sharing their food as usual, Andy playfully picking up some potatoes from her plate even though he had his own octopus salad portion already on his plate. She had laughed at him and had slapped his hand when he had tried to do it once again. He had looked at her with a puppy dogface and she had laughed even more before ordering to him to eat from his own plate. He had rolled his eyes at her and she had watched him with a smile on her face.

This dinner and the soothing and understated atmosphere of the restaurant was the perfect ending to a trying couple of days. Having the whole team at the mercy of a machine gun wielding mad man had taken its toll on everyone. A shiver ran down Sharon's spine as she thought of how dramatically different things could have turned out, not only for Provenza, but others as well. She quickly chased that thought away as she took a taste of her dessert. Andy had picked a simple exotic fruit salad while Sharon had given in to the temptation of a chocolate fondant with a pistachio heart.

Andy watched her as she enjoyed her dessert, closing her eyes and humming softly with each bite. He smiled at the endearing sight in front of him while his mind went back to their first date. He had been nervous back then, even if it wasn't the first time they had gone out, but the fact that they were going on a real date was enough to make him worry about everything being perfect for Sharon. She had softly laughed at him, reassuring him that it wasn't a big deal, but he could tell that she was nervous too. She had showed it less than him, for sure, but fortunately, by the time they had sat at their table at Serve, the tension and worries had disappeared. They had enjoyed their dinner in one of "the most romantic places in LA." Andy smirked at the memory as the ending of that night began to play in his mind, every detail of that moment still vivid in his heart and head.

 **SHARON'S CONDO PARKING LOT – 7TH OF JULY 2015**

 _Andy had stopped the car in the parking lot of her condo. He turned to look at Sharon, finding her staring out the window. She slowly turned to meet his gaze and smiled shyly as she said, "Well, this was nice. Thank you, Andy."_

 _He smiled back at her and they looked at each other in silence. Sharon didn't move, she didn't get out of the car, and she seemed to be considering her next words. She then ran a hand through her hair, "Uhm Andy… about tonight…"_

 _"Yes?" he asked, his voice sounding unsure, and he found himself actually fearing what she would say next. The thought that she may have not enjoyed their date crept through him and he held his breath as he waited for her to keep talking._

 _"I… I would like us to keep it professional at work." She added. "I'm the Captain, you're my Lieutenant and…" she stopped when she saw his face. He looked genuinely worried, even scared, and Sharon realized that her words could be easily mistaken. She shook her head and put her hand on his shoulder before reassuring him with a smile, "I really did enjoy tonight, Andy."_

 _Andy finally let go of the breath he was holding and a smile appeared on his face as he delicately covered her hand with his. He squeezed it while she went on, "I'm just saying that at work we should just keep it professional, as we always did. What we do outside of work only matters to us. We should, for now, keep it to ourselves, see how it goes and then, we'll figure out the rest. One step at a time."_

 _Andy nodded and he smirked as he teased her, "Works for me, Captain."_

 _Sharon rolled her eyes at him as she finally pulled her hand away from his shoulder and whispered with a smile, "I'll see you at work then?"_

 _"Sure…but let me walk you to your door." He then proposed to her._

 _A soft laugh escaped her lips as she rolled her eyes at him and told him, "I'm a big girl Flynn and it's not the first time I have had to walk alone to my condo."_

 _"Let me at least cross the parking lot with you." He insisted._

 _She met his gaze and they stared at each other for a while before Sharon sighed and gave in, "Fine, but this is completely unnecessary."_

 _Andy smiled back at her and before she could get out the car, he got out and quickly jogged to the other side of the car to open the door for her. He then extended his hand for her and helped her out of his car while she softly giggled at his gentlemanly manners. He closed the door and they walked across the parking lot, Andy with his hand on her back as he gently accompanied her. They reached the entrance of the building and she turned to look at him, arching an eyebrow, "Satisfied?"_

 _"You can't blame a guy for wanting a woman to walk safely home." He defended himself, raising his hands in surrender._

 _"Oh you're such a knight in shining armor." She teased him, gently patting his chest. "I can take care of myself, Andrew Flynn. I'm a Captain and I have a gun, remember?" she told him._

 _"Fine, fine! I get it. I've never questioned your capacity to look out for yourself. Don't shoot me."_

 _"I would never." She answered laughing. "Well at least not now, you have no idea how many times I wanted to shoot you a few years ago. You were such a jerk."_

 _"Oh guess what? The feeling was mutual back then."_

 _Sharon slapped his shoulder, looking falsely offended before telling him with a smile, "Well now that we've cleared our feelings, I guess we can call it a night. Thank you again Andy for tonight. I really did enjoy it."_

 _"It was my pleasure." He simply answered with a wide smile. He looked at her and then slowly leaned in to drop a kiss to her cheek before whispering, "Goodnight, Sharon."_

 _"Goodnight, Andy." she answered, smiling at him._

 _He offered her another shy smile before turning his back to leave. Sharon watched him slowly walk away, a hand on the door handle, ready to open it. She shook her head and let go of the door as she took a few steps forward and called to him, "Andy."_

 _Andy stopped and turned around, only to see Sharon walking quickly to join him. When she nearly reached him, he goofily grinned as he asked her, "Forget something?"_

 _Sharon didn't say anything and before Andy could add something more, she came closer to him, brushed a hand along his arm and reached for the back of his neck. She delicately pulled him to her, forcing him to bend his head so she could reach for his lips. She kissed him tenderly, Andy was a little taken aback at first, clearly not expecting her to do so, but when he recovered from the initial shock, he slid an arm around her to hold her close. She slowly broke the kiss, her lips staying close to his before she finally took a step back to look at him shyly in the eyes. Andy released her as another smile reached his lips, "And you expect me to be professional after a kiss like that?" Sharon smiled slyly and whispered, "Goodnight, Andy."_

 _She then walked away without turning back, aware of the fact that she could feel his eyes on her. She entered her building and disappeared while Andy kept staring in that direction, a goofy smile on his face as he murmured to himself, "A really good night indeed, Captain."_

"Earth to Andy." Sharon called to him. When she understood she had his attention back, she added with a smile, "Hey there, you were staring at me with a goofy smile…where have you been?"

"Oh sorry, I couldn't help it when I have such a breathtaking sight in front of me." He answered with a smile, not wanting to admit he was actually remembering their first date.

Sharon blushed and took his hand to squeeze it when Andy added with a grin, "Oh sorry, I was actually talking about the ocean view."

She let go of his hand, her mouth wide open in shock as she crossed her arms over her chest, pretending to be offended. "You're so incorrigible…" she sighed, shaking her head.

Andy laughed softly as his attention slowly shifted from Sharon to the scene unfolding behind her. The music that was at first barely audible during the dinner was now louder. People from other tables had stood up to gather at "the garden" part of the terrace and had started to dance. Andy's smile grew wider as he focused again on Sharon. She gave him a questioning look, but he didn't say anything. He just stood up and extended his hand for her before finally asking, "Shall we dance?"

Sharon arched an eyebrow as she kept staring at him. Andy smiled and told her, "I promise, we're not the only ones."

Andy indicated to the garden with a nod and Sharon turned around to look in that direction. She saw some couples dancing and when she met Andy's gaze again, she offered him a smile before taking his hand. Andy gently led her to the dance floor. He then stopped and smoothly pulled her to him. Sharon placed her hands on his shoulders while she felt his hands on her waist. They slowly started to sway, their eyes locked as Andy whispered to her with a soft smile, "Do you remember the last time we danced?"

Sharon's face lit up as she recalled that moment. Andy saw the smile appear on her face as she answered, "Nicole's wedding…"

He nodded and he drew her even closer as he whispered in her ear, "I just hope it isn't as awkward as it was that day…"

His comment made a soft giggle escape her lips as she shook her head, "It isn't… and you have improved a lot since then." She added with a grin.

"Yeah, well if Sandra hadn't been staring at me as if she wanted to push my head into the punch bowl I would have been a little more relaxed." He groaned. "Or, it could have been that I was just so surprised my friend Sharon was out on the dance floor with me that I could barely think straight, let alone move my own feet."

They danced in harmony, letting the music guide them. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He stared at her both in awe and disbelief that such an amazing woman could have chosen someone like him. Her green eyes looked even more mesmerizing under the moonlight as a special glow shined in them. Sharon smiled shyly at him as she paid attention, for the first time, to the song they were dancing to. A smile appeared on her face as she instantly recognized it despite the fact that it was a cover. Slowly she moved her hands up to his neck as she let her head rest on his chest. She felt him nuzzle his nose in her hair and she sighed happily.

Andy then pulled her impossibly closer, their bodies melting into one. He gently pushed a strand of her hair as he hummed in her ear along with the song, " _Every little thing you do is magic…_ "

Sharon couldn't help but smile against him as his warm voice sent shivers down her spine. He knew that she loved his sultry baritone with just a hint of his own unique New Yorker-wise guy edge of a voice, but he rarely sang. She caught him a few times at home, singing softly when he thought she was nowhere to hear him. Every time she would just lean against the wall, closing her eyes as she enjoyed listening to him. That is until he would acknowledge her presence and blush slightly, feeling uncomfortable with having an audience. She hadn't quite understood why he felt so uneasy about his voice; her guess was that in those rare moments he sang, he felt more exposed and vulnerable, as he let out a softer side of himself.

Andy kept on humming the song, " _Everything you do just turns me on… Even though my life before was tragic, now I know my love for you goes on…_ "

Or maybe he was uncomfortable because the songs he hummed were also a way for him to express his feelings. She felt her heart melt at the thought and she lifted her head to meet his gaze. She could feel her eyes glistening. Andy stroked her cheek, smiling softly at her before leaning in to kiss her tenderly.

The song came to an end quicker than they had expected it too. They exchanged a look and without saying a word, they decided it was time to head back to their table, ask for the bill, and leave the restaurant. Andy didn't want the night to come to an end yet, and he proposed a little walk on the boardwalk next to the restaurant. It was a short promenade by the ocean with a few benches, a quiet spot that was perfect for the ending of their date. She had agreed with a smile and after Andy paid the bill (much to Sharon's disapproval since she wanted them to split it, but he had insisted it was his treat), they walked silently out along the promenade, her elbow tucked into his, her head resting on his shoulder. A soft ocean breeze blew over them, moving her hair and cooling down the warm July night.

"Thank you so much for tonight, Andy. I loved every second of it." She whispered.

Andy smiled and dropped a kiss to her head before answering, "Anytime, babe."

After a while, they stopped and sat on a bench. Andy had put his blazer on Sharon's shoulders to protect her from the ocean breeze. She had argued that she was fine, but he could tell that she was starting to get chilly. He had told her it wasn't debatable and that she didn't need to worry because he had her next to him to keep him warm. She had rolled her eyes and adjusted the blazer on her shoulders before leaning against him. He had his arm around her, holding her as they listened to the sound of the waves crashing against the cliffs.

Sharon closed briefly her eyes as she whispered, "This is so peaceful here."

"Yeah, definitely the perfect closure for this crazy day." He agreed. "I can still feel my ears ringing from time to time from all of that gunfire… That asshole." He spat, anger creeping inside him as he thought of the mad man they had managed to stop today.

Andy felt Sharon suddenly tense against him, her body becoming stiff. He looked down at her but he couldn't see her face as she kept her head buried in his chest. He moved some hair from her face as he gently whispered, "Hey babe…"

She didn't react and Andy delicately lifted her chin to force her to look at him in the eyes. "Sharon…"

Sharon briefly met his gaze, but quickly looked away as she feared he would be able to read her actual thoughts. She turned to stare at the view in front of them, the moonlight shining on the water as waves kept crashing against the cliffs. She could feel his eyes on her, but she couldn't face him without him seeing how much the case had upset her. She felt a lump tightening her throat as she recalled their operation to apprehend the suspect. She could still hear the series of never-ending gunshots coming out of her walkie-talkie, her hands shaking as she imagined the living hell of bullets her team was facing. Her blood had frozen in her veins when she had heard someone yell and then some muffled laments. She had heard Julio speak and more muffled groans. She had immediately worried about Andy and she had felt herself go weak at the thought he could be hurt, or worse. She couldn't show it, so she had leaned against the door as she had tightened her grip on the walkie-talkie, praying to God that every member of her team was safe.

It wasn't long before she had heard Andy's voice screaming at the suspect to surrender. She hadn't known if she should have felt relieved that he was all right, or worried that he was facing the suspect. She could picture him, his gun pointed at the mad man while he shouted at him to get down to the floor in his own reckless way. Andy was known for putting himself on the front line during action and sometimes taking more risks than what he should. This didn't reassure Sharon until she saw the suspect let himself fall from the balcony and crash onto the ground, blood splattering all around him. Sharon had walked over to him and lifted her eyes to the balcony where she had found Mike and Andy staring down, Andy shaking his head and raising his hands in helplessness. She had met his gaze and they exchanged a quick look that said more than, "Sorry I couldn't stop the guy from jumping." She had let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding back before turning her attention at the body on the ground.

"Sharon…" Andy whispered once again reaching for her shoulder.

"I'm okay." She shot back, pulling herself free from his touch.

Andy was a little taken aback from her reaction, but he knew that it was just her trying to maintain her composure and not wanting to look vulnerable. "No, you're not. Talk to me, babe…" he nudged her shoulder, but she didn't move. She kept looking at some invisible point in front of her until Andy asked her, "Sharon please, look at me."

"You could have been hurt today." She finally admitted without looking at him, forcing her voice to sound firm despite the lump in her throat.

Andy suddenly understood that his previous remark about their case had triggered some memories. He felt like an idiot for bringing it up and ruining their special night. As always he had spoken without thinking and now here they were with Sharon visibly upset.

"But it didn't happen." He tried to reassure her. "I'm here, we're here, and we're fine."

"But something could have happened." She insisted, her voice this time less firm, as it cracked on the last word.

"Babe, this is our job. Sometimes we find ourselves in the line of fire and there's nothing we can do to avoid it. We both know that and we knew it when we signed on for the job." He tried to reason with her.

Andy wasn't used to seeing her like this. She was usually the rational one in their relationship, while he was the impulsive one. He was the one getting upset at every little thing he couldn't change. He was the one overreacting over every detail bothering him and she was the one to calm him down and reason him. Tonight the roles were reversed and this was quite new to him.

"I know, I know…and you're right." She admitted with a sigh. "I'm sorry… It's just…" She paused and took a deep breath as she let out, "It's just that I could have lost you today… And that part is worrying me too because when this all started we were supposed to remain professional at work, but today, today I worried about _my Andy,_ " She emphasized it as she kept rambling, "being shot down when I should have been one hundred percent focused on the team as a whole. Still, I was just worried, I couldn't help to think about you, what if you had put yourself too much at risk and got yourself shot? Or what if, what if… "

Andy could see her eyes glistening with unshed tears and he gently slid an arm around her, pulling her to him as his other arm encircled her from the front. He held her close and he could feel her releasing shaky breathes in an attempt to regain her composure. He knew that she wouldn't allow herself to break down completely, she didn't like to show this side of herself, and he respected that. They both had trouble with being vulnerable. He simply tightened his embrace, allowing her some time to calm down.

"It didn't happen, I'm here, babe." He whispered in her ear after a while before adding with a smirk, "And it is not bad that you worried about me, you didn't let it take you away from your post. You still were one hundred percent the Captain everyone needed." He reassured her, rubbing her arm. "And by the way, it takes more than a wacko dirtbag to take me out. I'm a 'stubborn hotheaded asshole', isn't that how you described me a few years ago?" he teased her. "Well, I've just added the _asshole_ part, you're way too classy to use such a word." He added jokingly. Sharon softly laughed against him and she brushed a hand over his chest as he said more seriously, "This is where I want to be…with you, by your side. This is where I belong. I'm not going anywhere, Sharon."

"You can't control that." She sadly whispered against him. Today had just reminded her of how fragile life was and how much their job was like walking on a tightrope. She sometimes forgot it, and today's case just reminded her of this a bit too harshly.

"I'm stubborn, remember?" he told her with a smirk as he gently stroked her hair. "I can't promise you nothing will happen, Sharon…" he added with a serious tone, "But I can promise you that if something was to happen I will fight to stay with you, I won't give up…just like the waves that crash against the cliffs but keep coming back." He gestured out to the sea, grinning softly. Sharon followed the path of his hand with her eyes, head still resting against him, and smiled at his uncanny ability to lighten the mood.

"I love you." She exhaled, lost in the moment. That was it, she had finally said those three words and she realized it only when the words left her mouth. She could hear Andy's heartbeat increasing in his chest and she started to worry about the awkward silence between them. She hesitantly lifted her head to meet his gaze and noticed how his features had softened into a warm smile. She could have sworn she saw moisture in his eyes, but she didn't have the time to think about it any further because Andy reached for her cheek and whispered, "I love you too, Sharon."

A genuine smile appeared on her face as a lone tear escaped her left eye and rolled down her cheek until Andy stopped its run, wiping it away with his thumb. He then leaned in to catch her lips in a passionate kiss, a kiss that left no doubts about their feelings, had their previous confession of love not been enough. They broke off for air and Sharon resumed her previous position, resting her head on his shoulder this time as he held her close to him.

"Andy…" she whispered after a few minutes of silence. She heard him hum and she added, "That waves comparison you said earlier…"

"Yeah, I read it somewhere." He interrupted her with a grin.

Sharon abruptly straightened out, facing him with her hands on her hips as she shook her head and exclaimed, "Oh come on, you shouldn't have said that! You've just ruined the moment." She rolled her eyes at him and a pout appeared on her face.

"What?" he shrugged. "You really thought that I was such a philosopher?" he then asked her, barely holding back a laugh.

"I should have figured out that this was a little too…" she paused to search for the best word to qualify it, "Too refined for you."

"Is this your way of saying that I'm stupid?" He exclaimed shocked, putting a hand to his chest as he feigned offense.

"No!" She immediately answered, laughing as she put a hand on his shoulder and leaned against him. "I would never… this is just not you." She added stroking his cheek. "You're more of a movies, television shows, and baseball quotes guy."

"Oh, I see." He stated airily. "I do read, you know, and not only the sports section of the newspapers." He was trying to laugh along with her, but a part of her joke did hit a little close to home.

Even though he was laughing along, Sharon instantly read more into his tone. She rolled her eyes at his sudden showing of insecurities and shook her head before looking at him seriously, "Andy, I am only joking. Whether you are able to quote philosophers or batting averages does not have anything to do with intelligence. I would never ask you to change that about yourself, I want you. The Dodger games, all the movies you've watched countless times and can quote every line by heart, spoiling the rest of the movie for me." She added with a smirk. "The lazy Sundays on the couch watching the reruns of the Golden Girls. I would never trade any of that for something more refined, I don't care about that. You bring so much lightness and fun into my life and God knows how much I need that, Andy." She paused and reached for his cheek as she looked at him in the eyes and whispered, "What you are is who I love, there is no need to ever change."

Andy smiled softly at her and covered her hand with his as he told her, "I love you so much."

Sharon resumed her previous position and sighed contentedly as Andy took her hand in his. They enjoyed the silence of each other's company for a few moments before Sharon suddenly laughed against him. Andy frowned and looked at her with a questioning look before asking, "What is it?"

"Nothing…" she said shrugging, "I was just thinking about how long it took us to finally say the words..."

"Yeah, guess we kinda needed some drama to make us realize what idiots we were, and force us to speak our minds." He answered with a smile, stroking the knuckles of her hand.

"Well, you know what they say…" she grinned, " _Better late than…_ "

" _Pregnant._ " He interrupted her with a smirk.

"See?" She rolled her eyes and laughed. "That's exactly what I meant about knowing how to finish just about every silly television quote, _Blanche_." She teasingly added, patting his chest and giving him a quick peck on the lips.

"Oh I knew you would have taken the hint, _Rose_." He rubbed her arm, "But just for the record, I agree, definitely better late than never."

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this fifth chapter!**

 **Feel free to tell me what you felt about it, I'd appreciate it very much!**

 **Stay tuned for Chapter 6, the last one of this fic!**


	6. 30TH OF JULY 2017

**And here we are with the final chapter of this fic! I hope you all enjoyed this story and I would like to thank you all once again for the amazing reviews, for reading, favoriting and following this piece. I truly appreciate it, thank you so much!**

 **Little reminder that the song "Fallin' All In You" by Shawn Mendes inspired this whole piece. Maybe you've picked up some hints to the song here and there in the chapters.**

 **Special thanks to my amazing Beta, eelise187 for her unconditional support. Without her, it wouldn't have been possible for me to write and post this story!**

 **Once again, I don't own the show or its characters.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER SIX: 30TH OF JULY 2017**

Sharon Raydor couldn't quite explain the turn of events that led her to this point. She opened her eyes and rubbed them before rolling over in bed. She nestled herself against Andy, her head resting on his chest as she enjoyed the still silent condo. Being able to listen every morning to the soothing sound of Andy's heart wasn't something she would take for granted, especially after the health scares he had given her lately. A year and a half ago the "dust-up" with a suspect and the following blood clot, then the fall and the surgery to remove the clot, and ten months ago, the heart attack in the Murder Room. She felt a lump forming in her throat as she recalled those haunting moments and how terrified she was at the thought of losing him. It was a blessing to her to wake up next to him every morning. God had given them a second chance and she wasn't going to waste it, she knew Andy felt the same way. Actually, the proposal four months ago proved that to her – as if she had needed any more proof – that he wanted to take their relationship to the next level, that he loved her deeply and wasn't willing to lose any more time.

Sharon's thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she felt Andy's arm wrap around her. She realized he was awake even if, when she looked up at his face, he still had his eyes closed. Sharon smiled and rested her head on his chest again, her eyes closed as she went back listening to his beating heart. Andy's hand slowly moved from her waist to her hair and he stroked it, playing with some strands. Sharon leaned into his touch and a smile crossed her features as she thought once again to how lucky she was to have Andy in her life.

"Good morning, babe…" he whispered, finally opening his eyes and kissing the top of her head, "is it time yet?" he asked groggily, unable to hold back a yawn.

"Morning," she murmured, unable to hold back a soft laugh from escaping her lips as she saw him looking at her with sleepy eyes and the lock of rebellious hair he struggled every morning to keep in place. He looked utterly cute, but she knew she couldn't possibly say that to him, "cute" wasn't exactly a manly word and not the kind of compliment he was expecting from her. He looked cute though and her heart melted at the sight. "I believe it is." She ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it and gave him a quick peck on the lips before ordering, "Come on, let's get up!"

Sharon tried to break the embrace in order to get up but Andy wasn't willing to let her go. "Another few minutes." He drew her to his chest again and he asked her, whining, "Remind me again, why we're doing this?"

Sharon rolled her eyes and smiled against his chest before lifting her head to meet his gaze and answering, "Because we want to spend some quality time all together as a family."

It was now Andy's turn to roll his eyes in fake annoyance. Sharon smacked his chest playfully with a scolding look before adding, "Plus, us not working on a Sunday doesn't happen quite as often as one would expect."

"Yeah, that's why I would have preferred spending some quality time alone with you." He added emphasizing the word "alone" and drawing her close to his chest again as his fingers began to play with the fabric of her nightgown.

"Andy." She warned him with a scolding tone, but couldn't stay serious when she saw his trademark puppy dogface. She knew he was teasing her and she also knew he had wanted the family lunch as much as she did. She couldn't wait to hug her children again, and she was thrilled that Nicole was able to join them. She remembered the joy on Andy's face when his daughter told him that she would be there too. "We'll have some time for us later," she reassured him with a smile before kissing him softly. "Now come on, we've got plenty of things to do before the kids arrive," she stated as she gently patted his shoulder.

Sharon got out of bed and was already heading to the bathroom when she heard Andy sigh and saw him lying down again out of the corner of her left eye. She stopped on the bathroom's threshold and turned around, crossing her arms before ordering him in a Darth Raydor tone, "Andrew Flynn, I said get up. Immediately."

"God, woman, I'm coming." He answered with a sigh while pulling back the sheets and getting out of bed. He walked around the other side of the bed to reach the bathroom as he added, "At least, can we shower toge-…"

Andy didn't have time to finish his sentence as the bathroom door closed in his face. He stood motionless, staring at the door in disbelief. He crossed his arms and said to her, in a louder tone to be sure she heard him over the running water, "Thank you, Sharon. I'll remember this next time you and your icy feet want to snuggle because you're feeling cold."

Andy heard her laugh and it brought a smile to his face. _How much do I love her laugh?_ He thought as he felt his smile grow wider. That laugh could light up the whole room and lift his spirit in the blink of an eye. He stood there wondering, and not for the first time, how he could be so lucky to have such an incredible woman by his side. His soon to be wife. His wife. He loved how it sounded and he couldn't wait to call her that.

"I love you!" he heard her say to him, as a way to apologize.

"Yeah right, better say you love slamming doors in my face." he replied with a grin as he left their bedroom.

* * *

Sharon was in the kitchen, looking nervously at the clock while stirring the minced meat in the pan. The filling for the cannelloni was almost ready, or at least that was what Andy had told her, when he checked the cooking five minutes ago. She sighed. She had no idea what she was doing; unlike Andy she wasn't particularly skilled in the cooking department. She blamed him for his idea of revisiting some old family recipes and leaving her alone in the kitchen, to deal with recipes she had never heard before. She would get back at him for it later.

She tasted the cannelloni's meat filling and smiled. It seemed right. She turned off the stove when she suddenly felt arms encircling her waist. Andy put his chin on her shoulder as he whispered in her left ear, "So do you know which day it is today?"

"Sunday, the 30th of July?" she answered. "Is that some kind of a test? I don't remember hitting my head last night." She stated with a mischievous smile, leaning against him.

Andy smirked as he moved away some strands of hair to kiss her neck before asking playfully again, this time adding more details, "Do you remember what happened 5 years ago on this day?"

"I presume it wasn't a lunch with our children and us being late with the cooking." Sharon answered faking annoyance as she nervously glanced at the clock. She normally loved his teasing, but the fact that they still had half of the meal to prepare was stressing her out. So she had played dumb when he asked her about the date, but she knew perfectly at what he was alluding to.

Andy rolled his eyes. He could sense how nervous she was and he took the wooden spoon from her hand to put it on the counter before reassuring her, "Don't worry, I'll take it from here." He felt her immediately relax and he smirked before whispering in her ear in a husky voice as he tightened the hold, "By the way, I was hungry back then too, but not that kind of hungry."

"Andy." She warned him but a smile appeared on her lips as she turned in his arms to face him and he drew her closer to him. "Of course I remember," she finally admitted timidly, her hand reaching his cheek to stroke it, "Who would have thought that one night would have led to all this?" she added with a satisfied smile before leaning in and kissing him tenderly. Andy deepened the kiss; one hand in her back, holding her close while the other ran through her hair.

"Oh gross! Do you have to do this in the kitchen?!" Rusty suddenly exclaimed, disgust clearly evident in his voice as he covered his eyes with both hands. Andy and Sharon broke the kiss immediately, Andy rolled his eyes when Rusty added, even more outraged, "And we're supposed to eat that food!"

Sharon blushed and laughed softly as she buried her face in Andy's chest. He wrapped his arms around her while Rusty cleared his throat and announced, "Uhm... just wanted to tell you that I'm heading to the airport to pick up Emily and Ricky."

Sharon lifted her head to look at her son and she offered him a smile as she said, "Thank you Rusty."

Rusty waved a hand in the air absentmindedly before grabbing his jacket and replying, "Yeah, whatever I got this. Just keep..." he stopped to look at Sharon and Andy, hugging each other, "Cooking" he emphasized. "I'd like to remind you both we have a family lunch in less than two hours".

"We are aware of that, Rusty." Sharon stated firmly, rolling her eyes.

"Good then, I'll trust you with this." Rusty was about to walk away when he stopped. He turned around to look at them as he added with a grin, "I would hate for us kids to come home and find you two making out in the kitchen."

"RUSTY!" Sharon exclaimed outraged, throwing him a deadly glance.

Rusty had disappeared before Sharon had a chance to say something more. She sighed and buried her face in Andy's chest again, clearly uncomfortable as she muttered, "Please tell me he left."

Andy smirked and stroked her hair before replying, "He just did. I heard the door close."

Sharon lifted her head to look at him and he added with a smile, "And you were wondering why I've insisted so much in making both the spinach and ricotta and the meat cannelloni..."

"I told you Ricky loves meat, but he would have eaten the spinach and ricotta ones too." She answered shaking her head. She loved the fact that Andy was so thoughtful and that he wanted to please her children, but Ricky was a grown-up now and eating some spinach wouldn't have killed him.

"Oh, it was not Ricky I was worried about, but Rusty." Andy corrected her with a grin. "I could already picture Rusty saying in front of everyone we were too busy in the kitchen doing something other than cooking a valid alternative to the vegetarian cannelloni."

"Oh God, no!" she exclaimed as she covered her face with both hands. "He's incorrigible."

"With Darth Raydor as a mother I doubt it." He joked before becoming serious as he confessed, "You did and keep doing a great job with the kid, babe."

Sharon timidly smiled and unable to hide her emotions, she simply stroked Andy's cheek, her eyes glistening with tears. He covered her hand with his and then, slowly took it and kissed it. He held it, gently stroking her knuckles as he added, "You know, it's just the kid's way of being protective of you."

"I know… but I also know that he cares about you, he likes you a lot. He's just…"

"He's just afraid of getting hurt, I get that, Sharon." Andy reassured her. "I am also very aware of the fact that I'm not perfect and that I've made mistakes in my life, but the last thing I want is to hurt you or the kids. I'd rather die."

"I know that, Andy…" she whispered softly, giving his hand a squeeze. "But just as a reminder, I'm not perfect either." She added, tilting her head.

"You are to me." It wasn't a cliché, even if it sounded like it was. He truly meant it. She was way too perfect for a guy like him and he couldn't help to think sometimes that she deserved better.

Sharon rolled her eyes and smiled. A soft laugh escaped her lips as she patted his shoulder and replied, "Don't be silly, Andy."

Andy arched his brows and lifted his hands in the air as if he was caught red-handed when he added, with a puppy dogface, "I'm serious!"

"You're starting to sound sappy." She laughed, covering her mouth with a hand.

Andy looked at her, bewildered. He stood with his hands on his hips as he exclaimed, "Oh women! I don't get you. You all always say we men are not romantic enough and now when I'm speaking my feelings, I'm sappy?" he asked faking offense.

Sharon couldn't hold back her amusement as she burst out laughing at the sight of his outraged face. She gently patted Andy's cheek as she said to him, emphasizing every word, "I. Love. You."

"It's already the second time today you use this ruse with me. If you think you can get away with this so easily..."

"What are you going to do?" she teased him in a husky tone.

"Don't try me," he threatened nearing her and blocking her against the counter. He put his hands on her waist first as he started kissing her jaw. Sharon closed her eyes as a moan escaped her lips when she felt his hands travelling along her body. Her right hand grasped the fabric of his shirt and she whispered, "Andy." He kept kissing her as if he hadn't heard her and she called to him, louder this time, "Andy!"

He stopped to meet her gaze and she looked at him apologetically before saying, "We can't, Andy. We still have a lot to do before the kids arrive." She paused as she took a deep breath. "And I'd hate for Rusty to walk in on us and give us his usual 'told you so' look."

Andy sighed and slowly let go of Sharon, brushing his hands along her arms before admitting, "You're right... and I'd totally hate for us to be the main subject of conversation during lunch, you know how receptive Nicole is on that subject".

Sharon laughed and stroked his cheek as she said with a smile, "Come on, let's finish cooking!" She gently pushed him toward the stove and added, "We have less than a hour to prepare everything."

"Gotcha Commander! So, which cannelloni do you want to fill, the meat or the spinach and ricotta ones?"

* * *

Sharon and Andy had just finished covering the cannelloni with sauce when the doorbell rang. They looked at each other and smiled, relieved everything was ready. Andy went to open the door while Sharon finished cleaning the counter. She then heard Nicole's voice and joined them in the hallway with a smile, "Nicole!"

The younger woman let go of her father and walked toward Sharon with a huge smile. "Sharon!" Nicole exclaimed hugging the other woman. "Thank you so much for inviting me," she added as Sharon hugged her back.

"Of course, Nicole." Sharon answered letting her go. "You had to be here. You're family." Sharon added truthfully as she gently stroked Nicole's hair.

Nicole smiled at her, touched by Sharon's words, she mouthed a silent "thank you" as Andy joined them and put his hands on the shoulders of his two favorite women. They both offered him a smile and Sharon asked, "Speaking of family, where are Dean and the kids?"

"Oh, the kids have a birthday party today and we already told them they could go. We felt it wasn't right to cancel. Dean offered to go with them so I could have lunch with you all."

"I understand perfectly. Next time, we'll love to have them here." Sharon answered with a smile as Andy kissed her temple, nodding in agreement.

"Sure thing. They'll love to spend some time with their grandpa…" Nicole smiled. "And they just adore you, Sharon." She added cheerfully.

Sharon blushed and Andy smiled proudly, letting his hand slide from Sharon's shoulder to her waist as he held her close, "And we do love them very much."

Nicole smiled and kissed her father's cheek before they all went to sit in the living room. Sharon didn't have the time to ask if Nicole wanted to drink something before she heard the door. Looking up, she saw the door opening and heard Rusty's voice, "We're home. You two better be fully dressed!"

"RUSTY!" Sharon scolded him, rolling her eyes. Her son's constant teasing was starting to irritate her. She then spotted Ricky and Emily behind him and ran to hug them. Her children engulfed her in a hug and she gave a kiss on the cheek of Emily first and then Ricky. "Emily, Ricky… I'm so happy to see you!" she said cheerfully letting them go. She then looked at Rusty and added firmly, "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear anything you just said."

Rusty rolled his eyes and smiled, shrugging his shoulders as Sharon led her children to the living room where Andy and Nicole were waiting for them. Emily hugged Nicole while Ricky fist bumped Andy who then gently patted the younger man's shoulder, smiling. They all greeted each other before Sharon excused herself to the kitchen to turn on the oven for the cannelloni. She paused looking at the scene playing in front of her eyes and she smiled at how well her children and Nicole got along. She couldn't ask for more and she knew Andy was as happy and as relieved as she was that they all enjoyed each other's presence. Suddenly she spotted Andy, standing near the balcony door. Sharon furrowed her brow as she noticed he looked lost in his thoughts and when she looked back at the kids, she saw they were talking to each other. They didn't seem to acknowledge Sharon and Andy's presence, so Sharon took advantage of it to check on Andy.

"Penny for your thoughts, Lieutenant?" Sharon asked softly as she wrapped her arms around Andy from behind.

Andy turned around and drew her closer to his chest, his hand resting on her waist as he hugged her. Sharon rested her head on his shoulder and he whispered, "Just admiring our family."

Sharon smiled as they watched their children. Nicole and Emily were talking and laughing while Rusty and Ricky seemed to be conspiring in the corner of the living room. Ricky then joined the two young women and said something that made them laugh. Emily patted her brother's shoulder as Rusty neared them with a grin. They were truly a family and the thought made Sharon's smile grow wider.

"We'll be complete soon." Sharon added, guessing what was on Andy's mind. She knew he was disappointed that his son didn't show up. They had invited him too but like the previous times, he had politely declined, making up some excuse. Andy was trying hard to rebuild the relationship with his son; it turned out it wasn't as easy as it had been with Nicole. Matthew was still hurting and he wasn't willing to forgive his father so easily, let alone trust him. Sharon knew Andy was suffering because of this situation, but she was deeply convinced that things were going to slowly get better.

"I'm not sure of it, babe." He whispered as he kept looking in the kids' direction. "Guess we can't always get what we want." He sighed looking down. He then paused, considering his next words, "I'm thankful for what we already have." He finally said looking up to meet her gaze with a light smile.

"He'll come around, Andy, I'm sure of it." She tried to reassure him, putting her hand on his before giving him a light squeeze. "Give him some more time." She suggested.

Andy nodded and hugged her tighter before answering, "I'm willing to give him all the time he needs." He paused and then sighed as he painfully added, "I'm just not going to be here forever and all that has happened lately is a reminder of that…"

"Andrew Flynn, do not talk like that." She gently scolded him, nudging his shoulder. "You're getting better," she added, her voice not as firm as before, a lump forming in her throat.

Andy looked up to meet Sharon's sudden saddened face. He reached for her cheek, and Sharon closed her eyes, leaning in his touch. "I'm sorry, I don't want to be a downer..." He paused and his voice was barely a whisper when he added. "I'm sorry for the pain I caused you lately."

"Hey, don't be silly." She immediately replied in a firm tone. "You have nothing to be sorry for, none of what happened was your fault." Her tone softened as she put her hand on his on her cheek. "Through thick and thin, right?"

"You're already working on your vows?" Andy asked with a grin.

"Maybe." She simply answered with a soft smile before leaning in to give Andy a quick peck on the lips.

"Hey you two lovebirds!" Ricky exclaimed with a grin, interrupting her. "Care to join us?" he added patting the empty space next to him on the couch.

Andy and Sharon exchanged looks and smiled at each other. Andy then stretched his hand for her and she took it before they walked toward their children together.

* * *

"Oh Dad, I can't believe you've made grandma's cannelloni!" Nicole exclaimed cheerfully. "It tastes heavenly, just like hers!" Andy smiled at his daughter as she added, "It's been awhile since you've cooked any of our family recipes, Dad and it's so great you've started doing it again" she paused before saying with a smile, "Here it is again..." She exchanged a look with Emily and both echoed with a smirk, "The Sharon effect!"

"Oh girls, please not again!" Sharon exclaimed blushing as she buried her face in Andy's shoulder. Andy wrapped an arm around Sharon and gently stroked her shoulder as the kids laughed.

Ricky took advantage of the situation to bring the conversation back to Andy's cooking skills, allowing Sharon to regain her composure. "Yeah well, Andy, I'm not usually a vegetable fan but those ones with spinach and whatever cheese it is, are so good."

"It's ricotta." Both Sharon and Andy corrected him. They exchanged looks and Sharon softly laughed as Andy added, "Thanks Ricky. I'm glad you like them." He then glanced at Sharon again before saying, "Truth to be told, your Mom helped me with the cooking too."

"Well, Mom correcting Ricky on the ricotta thing, and helping cook are new to me." Emily stated jokingly and Sharon threw a deadly look at her daughter, faking offense.

"Well then, if we want to be fair, " Ricky added grinning, "since there is the Sharon effect, I think we can call this the Andy effect."

They all burst out laughing and Andy looked at Sharon. He could see her eyes sparkling with joy and pride for the family they had created and he couldn't help his smile to grow wider as he took Sharon's hand in his and said, "I think that it is fair to say that we are good for each other."

Sharon gave Andy's hand a squeeze and looked at him with loving eyes. The girls couldn't hold back an "aww" while Ricky and Rusty exchanged a look and rolled their eyes at the overly romantic moment.

"Well anyway that's a good surprise, Andy." Ricky said. "I didn't know anything about your secret cooking skills. I'm jealous of my baby brother who is so lucky to taste your cooking everyday." He added nudging Rusty's shoulder.

"You can be." Rusty answered grinning. "He's really good at cooking when he's not busy doing something else in the kitchen."

Andy's mouth fell toward the floor as he stared shocked at Rusty. He was still holding Sharon's hand and he could feel her getting tense as her face whitened. Nicole covered her mouth with both hands as a smile crept over her face. She was trying her best not to burst out laughing but Emily insisting on the subject wasn't helping, "Something else?" Emily repeated half laughing.

"Emily, please!" Sharon pleaded her daughter while hiding her face in her hands. She couldn't believe her daughter would be Rusty's accomplice in this whole teasing thing.

"Geez, can we just drop this subject?" Ricky asked whiningly. "There are some things about Mom and Andy that I'd prefer not to know."

"Oh you have to know!" Rusty exclaimed as he pointed out with his finger progressively Ricky, Emily, and Nicole. "I want you guys to know what I have to endure everyday!"

"Rusty, I'd like to remind you, you still live under this roof." Sharon stated firmly.

"Ouch, you're so screwed baby bro!" Ricky smirked, smacking Rusty's arm playfully.

"Careful kid," Andy whispered. "You don't want to unleash Darth."

"Okay, I was just kidding." Rusty finally admitted, raising his hands in surrender. "They know how to behave..." Sharon smiled satisfied and took a bit of the cannelloni, chewing it slowly when Rusty added, grinning, "Most of the time."

"Rusty!" Sharon exclaimed, nearly choking. She took her napkin and cleaned the corners of her mouth, her eyes never leaving Rusty. She would get back at him for it later.

Ricky cleared his throat and took his glass of wine before saying, "Anyway, let's make a toast to the happy couple!"

Ricky raised his glass while Emily looked at him, silently encouraging her brother to say something more. Ricky then turned to his mother and Andy and said, "Mom, Andy… I'm not really good at this kind of thing, but we all wanted you to know how thrilled we are about the wedding and about you, Andy, joining our family… along with Nicole." He added looking at Andy's daughter who thanked him with a smile. "We tease you two a lot, especially Rusty here," Rusty rolled his eyes at the comment while Ricky kept on, "but we're truly happy for you two."

"And Mom…" Emily added taking her glass, "you've been through a lot and it's so good to see you so glowing again. Thank you, Andy, for making her happy. You two deserve the best."

Andy heard Sharon sniffle and he turned to her. Her eyes were glistening with tears and he could tell she was moved by her children's words. He took her hand in his and kissed her temple. Sharon briefly closed her eyes and gave Andy's hand a squeeze.

"Well, I won't stop with the teasing," Rusty then said, interrupting the silent moment, but when he met Emily's deathly glare he added, "but just know that I love you… both."

Sharon put her hand on her heart, touched, and Andy was about to say something when he saw his daughter stopping him with a hand gesture. Nicole took her glass and said with a smile, "Okay, since everyone said something… I'll try to keep it short and not be too sappy…" She exchanged a look with her father before going on, "As you may know, my relationship with Dad has not always been this close. We didn't have much of a relationship, truth to be told. He wasn't around much when I was a kid…"

Andy looked down. He hated the person he was back then, he hated how much he hurt his children and his ex-wife. He was unprepared for married life, but that wasn't much of an excuse. He wished he hadn't made his family suffer so much. Sharon nudged his shoulder and Andy looked up while his daughter kept talking, "Everyone makes mistakes. Growing up, I understood that it wasn't only my father's fault. My parents were very young when they got married, they were unprepared for what was to come… and I know that Dad tried his very best."

Nicole paused, considering her next words as a smile slowly appeared on her face. "I have some good memories, the few times we spent together… the Dodger games he took me to, along with Matthew, his hugs… and that was what I held on to, those memories… and what gave me the strength to try to rebuild a relationship when he reached out again. Little did I know that I had to thank a special person for this, for having my father back in my life." Nicole looked at Sharon who was watching her with her eyes full of unshed tears. "And I will forever be grateful to you, Sharon for going with Dad to my wedding. I'm aware of the fact that he wouldn't have showed up alone, in let's say an unwelcoming place… and we wouldn't have connected again… and we would have lost so much." Nicole added, her voice breaking slightly.

She quickly regained her composure as she kept on, "That's where I met Sharon for the first time, at my wedding… and from the very first moment I could tell that she wasn't like the other women my father used to date. I could tell that she was special. I could tell that my father was changing and most of all, even back then. I could tell there was some underlying sparkles between those two… even if they tried to hide it." Nicole grinned, exchanging a look with Rusty before saying, "I clearly remember the evening before the Nutcracker… us standing over there…" She explained pointing out at the kitchen, "and these two trying to explain to me how they were just friends. Friends, right?" Nicole softly laughed. "And then Rusty came along, brilliantly pointing out all their non-dates, making them so uncomfortable." Nicole exchanged a look with Rusty who was smiling, clearly proud of himself. "We already knew what was going on between them, we were just waiting for them to confess it to us… Now here we are, getting ready for a wedding and becoming a big family… and I'm so grateful for all this. I think Dad will agree with me if I thank you Sharon for making him a better man… and thank you for bringing him in my life again." She looked both at Sharon and Andy with a smile before focusing on her father again and saying with a more serious tone, "And Dad, Matthew will come along soon, I'm sure of it. And I'll do my best to help you both in rebuilding a relationship. He's missing out on so much, and this can't keep happening. He needs his Dad just as much as I need you."

Sharon looked at Andy and could see moisture in his eyes. Andy stretched his hand over the table and Nicole took it, squeezing gently. They both looked at each other, clearly moved when Ricky said with a smirk, "Well, I guess now we know who will make the toast at the wedding!"

They all laughed while Nicole blushed, smiling softly. Andy let go of his daughter's hand and turned to Sharon who seemed to be too moved for speaking and he said, "Well kids… we kinda didn't expect this and well… I'm touched. I'm not really good with speeches, but I once said that outside work, there was no place on earth that I fit in. It's not like that anymore, I've found my happy place and it's right here, with this wonderful woman who will be soon be my wife…" he kissed Sharon's hand before turning to their children, "and with all of you, kids. I love each one of you."

"My turn, I guess…" Sharon stepped in with a smile, wiping away a lonely tear. "Well, I got emotional, I confess. I'm happy. Truly happy." She repeated, looking at each person sitting at the table. "I'm glad we were finally able to make this family lunch, Andy and I wanted this so much and our hearts are filled with joy and pride for our amazing children. You all grew up to be wonderful human beings and I think Andy agrees with me when I say that we are the lucky ones because we have such a beautiful family."

Emily and Nicole sniffed, their eyes shining with tears of joy. Rusty was starting to feel slightly uncomfortable at this huge display of emotion and he glanced at Ricky, looking for someone who could break in with a joke to relieve the emotion moment. Ricky clearly understood the look Rusty gave him because he said jokingly, "Well this was supposed to be a toast and it turned out to be the sappiest moment ever." Ricky then took his glass again and said, "To Mom and Andy, congrats… and we can't wait for the wedding!"

* * *

The rest of the lunch went on smoothly, everyone joking around, and eating too much but Sharon and Andy had done such a good job with the cooking that Ricky and Rusty couldn't help but go back for seconds. When they all got up from the table, they walked lazily to the living room. Sharon offered to make some tea and Andy helped her while the kids sat, Nicole on the sofa, Emily in the armchair while Rusty and Ricky took some cushions and sat on the floor, Ricky leaning against the armchair. When Sharon and Andy came back with the cups of tea, they took their place on the sofa as Emily exclaimed, "Gosh, I don't remember the last time I ate so much!"

"No kidding!" Rusty agreed putting his hands on his belly. "No need to eat anymore, my food supply will last for at least a week."

They all laughed. Sharon rested her head on Andy's shoulder while he put his arm around her, drawing her close to him. She didn't know if it was because of all the food she had eaten or because of the stress she had experienced while preparing this lunch but she suddenly felt tired. Tired, but happy.

Nicole then turned to her father and she said with a smile, "Thank you so much for this beautiful day. It kind of reminded me of those Sunday lunches at grandma's house…" she recalled with a wistful smile.

"Jesus!" Emily exclaimed covering her eyes with her hands. "You used to do that every Sunday?! You ate that much every Sunday?!"

Nicole and Andy couldn't hold back a laugh at Emily's shocked face. Andy's daughter put a strand of hair behind her ear before answering, "Well grandma was Italian. Sunday lunch was a tradition for her. We all joined around a table, sharing lunch and some precious family time… we then slowly fell out of this routine when things got a bit rocky between my parents," Nicole confessed sadly, looking down for a few seconds. She then met her father's eyes and she could tell he was feeling nostalgic as much as her. A smile suddenly lit up her face when she added, "I'm so glad that today we kind of revived those family lunches."

"Well, it will be the first of many." Andy stated with a smile. He could feel Sharon nodding against him and he gently stroked her hair as he joked, "Nic, we just have to give some time to the other half of the family to become accustomed to heavy consumption of food during those family lunches. Sharon is almost collapsing on me!"

"Hey!" Sharon exclaimed, straightening herself out and playfully smacking Andy's arm. "I heard you, don't get fresh with me, Andrew Flynn."

Emily exchanged a glance with her brother and smiled. She felt her heart filling up with joy upon seeing her mother so happy and she knew Ricky felt the same way. She watched her mother and Andy's banter and said dreamily, "You're such a perfect couple…" She then added in a hopeful tone, "I hope to find someone just like you, Andy…"

"Oh Em', I wish for you to find someone better than me. You deserve way better… that's what I keep telling your mother too." Andy answered jokingly, even if deep down, he was touched by the younger woman's words. He didn't expect anyone, except Sharon and his daughter, to see something good in him and yet, Emily complimenting him this way made him feel truly honored, even if he didn't say it.

"Andrew Flynn, don't force me to smack your arm once again." Sharon threatened him with a half smile. "You're such an idiot when you say things like that." She added stroking his cheek gently before giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Anyway, I've told you all before about the Nutcracker night when Dad and Sharon tried to convince me you were only friends…" Nicole suddenly stepped in, arching her eyebrow. "But will you tell us, when did you two actually realize you were starting to feel something toward each other?" She asked. "Truthfully."

"Yeah Mom, I don't think we've ever heard this story before." Emily encouraged her mother with a smile.

Sharon exchanged a look with Andy and she knew he thought about the same moment that she did. They both knew they couldn't possibly tell the whole story to their children. They would have to omit some details of an encounter that was supposed to be for one night and that turned out to be, five years later, a fulfilling and deep relationship.

A smile crossed Sharon's face when she noticed the wrinkles appearing around Andy's eyes. She could tell he was thinking hard about something to say and when he turned to look up at her, he caught her staring. Sharon blushed and Andy smiled as he took her hand in his. He looked at the kids who were expectantly watching him and he answered, "Well it all started five years ago with me getting caught checking Sharon out…"

* * *

 **That's a wrap! I hope you liked this final chapter. I'd love to hear your thoughts about it!**

 **Thank you again for reading and s** **tay tuned for more stories!**


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